The United Arab Emirates says it has suspended all trade, commercial exchange and financial transactions with Iran until further notice, a move announced after the UAE said two ballistic missiles had been fired towards its waters.

The Associated Press reported on 19 August that the Emirati Foreign Ministry announced the measures after the reported missile incident. The UAE said its assessment was that the missiles targeted maritime traffic. Iran denied launching missiles towards the UAE.

The announcement is a significant policy development for a commercial relationship in which the UAE has long served as a regional trading and re-export hub. But the scope, legal mechanism, exemptions, enforcement timetable and effect on particular routes or firms should not be assumed. The written UAE measures, comment from Iranian authorities and traders, and independent corroboration of the security incident all remain outstanding, and the incident stands as a contested account.