Daniel Estrin

After weeks of a ceasefire with Iran, there's been an escalation and concerns about a return to war.

The U.S.

Navy broke through Iran's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and escorted two American-flagged merchant shipping vessels through.

Then the United Arab Emirates says it was attacked by Iran for the first time since a ceasefire was announced a month ago.

An Israeli military official told reporters that Israel is closely monitoring the situation and is on high alert.

But Israel has not imposed any new emergency restrictions on public gatherings like there were during the height of the Iran war.

Daniel Estrin, NPR News, Tel Aviv.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a post on X that a vessel had arrived in Israel and was preparing to unload containing grain that Russia seized from land that it occupies in Ukraine.

Zelensky said Ukraine was preparing sanctions against those transporting stolen grain and profiting from it.

Israel's foreign minister, Gideon Saar, had sharp words for Ukraine.

Clearly we reject this kind of Twitter diplomacy.

He called Ukraine's public accusations surprising after the help Israel has given Ukraine during the war.

Israel says the vessel has not entered the port and that Israel is investigating the matter.

Ukraine says Israel has imported stolen Ukrainian grain before and it summoned Israel's ambassador to protest.

Russia's foreign ministry spokesman declined comment.

Daniel Estrin, NPR News, Tel Aviv.

Also, the U.S.

military announced it has now completed its blockade of Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz, blocking Iran's export routes by sea.

That adds economic pressure on Iran one week into the two-week ceasefire.

In Washington, Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors met for rare diplomatic talks between those two enemy countries.