Dubai news highlights| UAE continues to thwart Iranian attacks; Talks on end of West Asia war drag on

Dubai UAE Abu Dhabhi news highlights: A view of Luxury Burj al-Arab Hotel at Jumeirah area in Dubai, UAE. (Reuters)

Dubai news LIVE highlights: The UAE, late on Tuesday, said that one of its serviceman in the Armed forces has died in an Iranian attack in Bahrain. Even some servicemen in Bahrain defence forces have also been killed, said the Bahrain defence forces. Earlier, the UAE's ministry of defence had informed on X that its air defence system intercepted 5 ballistic missiles and 17 drones on March 24. UAE has successfully intercepted 357 ballistic missiles, 15 cruise missiles and 1,806 UAVs launched from Iran since the war started in the middle east.

The latest interception adds to the staggering volume of fire directed at the country since the beginning of hostilities. The ongoing military operations have resulted in a rising human toll, with the Ministry reporting casualties among both service members and the public.

"These attacks resulted in the martyrdom of 2 members of the armed forces while performing their national duty, the deaths of 6 civilians, and injuries to 161 people ranging from minor to severe," the statement noted.

Report suggests UAE, Saudi Arabia may join Iran war

Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have taken steps toward joining the Iran war, the Wall Street Journal reported, potentially signalling an escalation of the fighting.

Saudi Arabia agreed to give the US military access to King Fahd Air Base, the WSJ reported, citing people familiar with the matter, an apparent reversal after saying its bases couldn’t be used to attack its longtime rival.

The newspaper also cited people familiar as saying the United Arab Emirates closed an Iranian-owned hospital and club — undercutting a key source of support for Tehran.

UAE's diplomatic engagements

UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan held a phone call with NATO chief Mark Rutte to discuss the ongoing military escalation in the region and its implications for regional and international security, as well as the impact on international shipping and the global economy.

He also received France's minister of the armed forces and veteran affairs Catherine Vautrin, with whom he discussed cooperation and coordination between the two countries in defence affairs and their shared commitment to strengthening them within the framework of the two countries’ Strategic Partnership.

Oil prices

Oil prices dropped about 8 per cent on Monday after US President Donald Trump said he would postpone any military strikes against Iranian power plants for five days and cited constructive talks to resolve hostilities in the Middle East, hours before a deadline that threatened to escalate the four-week-old war.

Brent futures fell $8.92, or 8.0 per cent, to $103.27 a barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate lost $7.17, or 7.3 per cent, to $91.06.

But on Tuesday, they jumped back above $100 a barrel. Brent rose 2.9 per cent to $102.84, while West Texas Intermediate jumped 3.5 per cent to $91.20.

Extreme price changes in recent weeks — Brent closed at its highest since July 2022 on Friday — boosted the historic or actual 30-day futures volatility of both crude benchmarks to levels not seen since April 2022.

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Mar 24, 2026, 22:55:49 IST

Dubai News LIVE: All that happened in UAE and across West Asia amid the US Iran war

Dubai News LIVE: A roundup of all that happened on day 25 of war between US, Iran and Israel and its impact on UAE

1. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said in a post on X that Pakistan is ready to “facilitate meaningful and conclusive talks” to end the Iran war. Former US President Donald Trump acknowledged Pakistan’s role by sharing a screenshot of Sharif’s post on his Truth Social account.

2. Israel said it carried out an extensive series of strikes on Iranian “production sites,” without providing further details. In Tehran, large explosions were reported in northern neighbourhoods as well as in the city centre.

3. Iran fired at least 10 waves of missiles at Israel. First responders reported that three people were wounded in southern Israel, while four others sustained minor injuries in Tel Aviv.

4. A Moroccan civilian contractor working with the UAE armed forces was killed in Bahrain in an Iranian attack, according to the UAE Ministry of Defence.

5. In Kuwait, power lines were hit by air defence shrapnel, leading to partial electricity outages for several hours. Kuwait later denied the claims.

6. Saudi Arabia said it intercepted Iranian drones targeting its oil-rich Eastern Province.

7. The UAE said it intercepted 17 drones and five ballistic missiles from Iran on Tuesday. It added that, so far, it has shot down 357 ballistic missiles, 15 cruise missiles, and 1,806 drones.