ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - At least four cruise missiles launched from Iran and multiple drone attacks targeting the United Arab Emirates (UAE) were intercepted by Emirati defenses on Monday, the country's defense ministry said. This comes hours after Abu Dhabi condemned an Iranian drone strike on a national oil tanker transiting through the Strait of Hormuz.
“Four cruise missiles launched from Iran were detected heading toward various areas of the country,” the ministry said in a statement, adding that “three were successfully intercepted over territorial waters, while one fell into the sea.”
The statement further noted that “the sounds heard in different parts of the country were the result of air defence systems engaging the threats,” and urged “the public to rely on official sources and follow all public safety procedures when warning messages are issued.”
The statement came as residents across the UAE received at least three “potential missile threat” warnings from the interior ministry within a three-hour span as of 5:00 pm, Rudaw has learned.
Residents were instructed to “immediately seek a safe place in the closest secure building,” avoid windows, doors, and open areas, and “await further instructions,” citing the “current situation in the region” and “potential missile threats.”
Meanwhile, the government of the Emirate of Fujairah, on the eastern coast of the UAE along the Gulf of Oman, said that “three individuals of Indian nationality sustained moderate injuries” in what it described as “Iranian aggression” targeting the Fujairah Oil Industry Zone (FOIZ), and that the individuals were transported to receive the necessary medical treatment.
The FOIZ is a key export gateway on the Indian Ocean that allows the UAE to bypass the Strait of Hormuz. It includes large storage facilities and the Habshan-Fujairah pipeline and handles a significant share of the UAE’s crude exports and provides refueling and refining services.