United Arab Emirates briefly closes airspace as Mideast fighting escalates

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Explosions sounded over Dubai early Tuesday as the United Arab Emirates’ military worked to intercept incoming Iranian fire that caused the country to briefly close its airspace as war in the Middle East continued to escalate.

The Israeli military said early Tuesday it had begun a “wide-scale wave of strikes” across Iran’s capital and was also stepping up strikes on Iran-backed Hezbollah militants in Lebanon. It announced the new strikes as Israel reported two incoming salvos from Iran.

Fears of a global energy crisis loomed even as a small number of ships passed through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway through which a fifth of the world’s oil normally travels.

Iranian strikes on commercial ships in and around the strait have slowed shipping to a trickle, dramatically increasing oil prices and pressuring Washington to do something to ease the pain for consumers and the global economy.

Brent crude, the international standard, remained over $100 a barrel. U.S. President Donald Trump said he had demanded that roughly a half-dozen countries send warships to keep the Read Entire Article