UAE condemns Iranian drone attack; denies reports of Al Minhad Air Base being targeted

The UAE air force engaged a drone over its territorial waters that had come from Iran, the defence ministry said in a statement on Monday. It did not provide further details on the drone, including whether it was shot down or its intended target.

The UAE foreign ministry later strongly condemned the Iranian drone attack as "a dangerous escalation that represents a flagrant violation of the state’s sovereignty, security and stability."

The UAE denied reports that Al Minhad Air Base had been targeted by missiles, saying in a defence ministry statement that the reports were false. The ministry said the armed forces remained on a high state of readiness to respond to any threats and safeguard the UAE’s sovereignty, security and stability.

Iran's army said earlier on Monday that it had attacked the United Arab Emirates' Al Minhad Air Base with drones, Iranian state TV reported, citing an army statement. The army said the attack targeted locations where U.S. forces and helicopters were stationed at the base.

It said the attack was in response to the killing of Iran's Revolutionary Guards and Iranian civilians on Larak Island. It said the UAE reserved its full right to respond and called for an immediate halt to the attacks.