US, UAE discuss regional security, Strait of Hormuz

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke by phone Tuesday with United Arab Emirates (UAE) National Security Adviser Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan about regional security, the State Department said.

"The two discussed a number of regional security issues, including Lebanon, as well as continued U.S.-UAE coordination to hold Iran and its terrorist proxies accountable for ongoing attacks," the department said in a statement.

During the call, Rubio underscored the importance of freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, the statement said.

Earlier Tuesday, the UAE suspended all trade exchanges and financial transactions with Iran "until further notice" after saying that Iran fired two ballistic missiles towards the Gulf state.

Tensions in the Middle East have heightened since the US and Israel launched joint strikes on Iran in February. In response, Tehran retaliated with strikes in regional countries hosting US assets, including the UAE.

Iran and the US signed a memorandum of understanding in mid-June under Pakistani mediation aimed at ending their war and reaching a lasting peace agreement.

Talks, however, have since broken down amid ongoing disputes over the memorandum’s terms and navigation through the Hormuz Strait, a critical route for global energy exports.