UAE says responding to Iranian missiles, drone threats

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Tuesday said its air defence systems were responding to incoming missile and drone threats from Iran.

Iran has continued strikes on the UAE since the war erupted in the Middle East, disrupting commercial air travel and targeting energy installations on both sides of the Strait of Hormuz. The attacks have killed one civilian, disrupted operations at the world's busiest airport and sparked a fire at a key oil hub.

In the usually quiet northern emirate of Umm Al Quwain, a drone attack damaged an unspecified building but caused no casualties, authorities said.

The slew of attacks came a day after Tehran's top diplomat, Abbas Araghchi, said that US bases in the Middle East had been used to launch air raids and that missiles had been fired from the UAE to strike Iran's Kharg Island. UAE officials have denied the claim.

In the eastern emirate of Fujairah, a drone attack on oil infrastructure sparked a fire, authorities said, reporting no injuries and adding that "efforts continue to bring it under control".

A pipeline to the emirate allows a large proportion of the country's oil exports to bypass the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway shut by Iran in response to US-Israeli attacks that sparked the war.

A Palestinian civilian was killed on the outskirts of the Emirati capital Abu Dhabi when a missile hit a car, the state media office said.

The UAE has reported seven deaths since the war began, including five civilians and two military personnel, who died in a helicopter crash blamed on a technical malfunction.

'Regular explosions'
Dubai Airports said earlier that flights were gradually resuming at the world's busiest international hub, following a nearby fuel tank fire sparked by a "drone-related incident".

Iran has fired more than 1,900 missiles and drones at the United Arab Emirates, more than any other country targeted by Tehran since the start of the Middle East war. Tehran has taken aim at US assets in the Gulf countries, as well as civilian infrastructure, including landmarks, airports, ports and oil facilities.

Neighbouring Saudi Arabia's defence ministry also reported intercepting more than 60 drones since midnight on Monday in the east of the country.

Qatar said later that it was targeted by 14 missiles and a number of drones launched from Iran on Monday, adding that it intercepted all but one missile, which "landed in an uninhabited area without causing any losses".

Meanwhile, Bahrain said it has intercepted 350 Iranian missiles and drones since the start of the war.