The United Arab Emirates (UAE) Ministry of Defence has reassured residents that the overhead noise of projectiles was caused by aerial interception operations being carried out by the country's air defence mechanisms, and that there is no need for panic.
A total of 137 Iranian ballistic missiles were detected by the UAE's defence forces, of which 132 were destroyed, while the remaining five fell into the sea. Similarly, a total of 209 drones were identified, and as many as 195 were intercepted. Of the remaining 14, some fell within UAE territory or waters, causing minor damage, Khaleej Times quoted the Emirati Ministry of Defence as saying.
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In Dubai, two people needed medical attention for their injuries after parts of a destroyed Iranian drone crashed into the courtyards of two houses. Similarly, debris fell outside the Burj Al Arab; however, it did not injure anyone. The situation was similar at the Jebel Ali Port after pieces of a destroyed Iranian drone caused a fire at one of its berths, Khaleej Times said.
Meanwhile, in Abu Dhabi, one Pakistani man lost his life and seven others were injured. A drone targeting Zayed International Airport was successfully intercepted, and its falling debris caused the fatalities and injuries.
Citing the Abu Dhabi Government Media Office, some reports claimed that a woman and child suffered minor injuries from falling debris after a drone was intercepted near Abu Dhabi's Etihad Towers. THE WEEK could not independently verify this claim.
Key transit airports, including Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the UAE and Doha in Qatar, were shut or severely restricted as much of the region's airspace remained closed. The Gulf is grappling with uncertainty after US and Israeli strikes killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday.
The airport closures have rippled far beyond the Middle East. Dubai and neighbouring Doha sit at the crossroads of East–West air travel, funnelling long-haul traffic between Europe and Asia through tightly scheduled networks of connecting flights. With those hubs idle, aircraft and crews remain stranded out of position, disrupting airline schedules worldwide.