# UAE cuts Iran’s economic lifeline after ‘ballistic missile strikes’

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/iran-the-latest-6656846/uae-cuts-iran-s-economic-lifeline-after-ballistic-missile-strikes
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/iran-the-latest-6656846/uae-cuts-iran-s-economic-lifeline-after-ballistic-missile-strikes.md
Podcast: [Iran: The Latest](https://stenobird.com/podcast/iran-the-latest-6656846)
Published: 2026-08-19T16:32:00+00:00
Episode link: https://shows.acast.com/battle-lines-israel-gaza/episodes/uae-cuts-irans-economic-lifeline-after-ballistic-missile-str
Audio file: https://sphinx.acast.com/p/open/s/6583019ebbd71a00175001c8/e/6a85da271ad8716bb61e7531/media.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/iran-the-latest-6656846/episodes/uae-cuts-iran-s-economic-lifeline-after-ballistic-missile-strikes
Duration seconds: 2411

## Resource

The UAE has dealt Iran a major blow by cutting off trade ties after accusing Tehran of firing two ballistic missiles towards the Gulf state. The missiles eventually landed outside territorial waters, but Abu Dhabi’s swift response could close down Iran’s key economic escape route. On today’s episode of Iran: The Latest , Sophia Yan unpacks the latest news from the Middle East war with Mahsa Alimardani, associate director of Technology Threats & Opportunities program at digital human rights group WITNESS. They discuss Iran’s state-backed cyber attacks against the West, how the Internet blackout has affected Iran’s economy and the unsophisticated AI around Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei. Plus, a new Iranian draft law that would criminalise speaking to foreign media, and news reports that Iran is assessing potential strikes against US military assets in Europe. Highlights UAE cuts Iran’s economic lifeline after ‘ballistic missile strikes’ How the Internet blackout has affected Iran’s economy CHAPTERS 00:00:00 - UAE Imposes Trade Embargo Following Iranian Missile Attack 00:01:11 - Trump Denies Iran Talks as Hormuz Blockade Escalates 00:03:06 - Ground Reality: 90 Million Iranians Face Internal Warfare 00:06:04 - Khamenei Disappears: AI Deepfakes Fuel Regime Crisis 00:08:58 - US-Israel-Iran Conflict Drives Unprecedented AI Information War 00:11:50 - Regime Weapons-Grade Propaganda Targets US Political Divide 00:14:15 - White SIM Cards: How Elite Insiders Profit Off Internet Blackouts 00:22:27 - US DOJ Charges 17 Iranian Hackers Over Mass Cyber Theft 00:24:57 - Tehran Criminalizes Media Contact Under Zionist Law 00:33:50 - Regime Insider Warning: Iran Prepares Strikes on US Bases in Europe CONTRIBUTORS: Sophia Yan, co-host and senior foreign correspondent @sophia_yan Mah…

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