Dubai Abu Dhabi news highlights: Israel launches ‘wide-scale’ strikes on Iran; UAE intercepts drones, missile attacks

UAE news LIVE: The ministry of defence in UAE said in a post on X, “UAE air defences are currently responding to incoming missile and drone threats from Iran”

“MOD asserts that the sounds heard are the result of the Air Defence Systems intercepting missiles and drones.”

Just in | Several booms have been heard in Qatar's Doha, reported Reuters, citing a witness.

More details are awaited.

UAE new LIVE: Gulf countries giving utmost care to Indians working there, I am grateful to them for that, said India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Kerala's Kochi.

Dubai Abu Dhabi news LIVE: Two drones came down near Dubai International Airport (DXB) on Wednesday, leaving four people injured, the Dubai Media Office said, as attacks on infrastructure across the Gulf nation continued on the 12th day of the Iran crisis that has caused major disruption to global air traffic.

"Authorities confirm that two drones fell in the vicinity of Dubai International Airport (DXB) a short while ago," the media office posted on X, adding that air traffic is operating as normal.

The injured included:

• 2 Ghanaian nationals (minor injuries)
• 1 Indian national (moderate injuries)
• 1 Bangladeshi national (minor injuries)

Dubai Abu Dhabi news LIVE: The United Arab Emirates said its air defence systems are responding to a missile threat, urging the public to remain in safe locations.

“MOD asserts that the sounds heard are the result of the Air Defence Systems intercepting missiles and drones,” the defence ministry said in a statement.

Dubai Abu Dhabi news LIVE: The UK Navy said three vessels were struck by suspected projectiles in the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf on Wednesday, as the conflict in the region continues to threaten shipping.

The targets, which were not identified, include a cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz off Oman, a container vessel west of Ras Al Khaimah and a bulk carrier northwest of Dubai, the UK Maritime Trade Operations Centre said. The cargo ship reported a fire on board and the crew are evacuating, it added.

Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a major chokepoint for energy exports, has almost come to a halt since the United States and Israel launched airstrikes on the Islamic Republic last month. Iran later responded by targeting shipping and other locations in the region. The slowdown has forced some of the biggest Gulf producers to cut oil output as storage tanks begin to fill.

Dubai Abu Dhabi news LIVE: Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni strongly condemned the strike on a school in Iran that killed at least 165 people, including students killed and called for a swift investigation to determine responsibility.

She also said that Italy is supplying anti-aircraft defence systems to Gulf states to support their efforts against Iran's aerial attacks.

We cannot allow Iran to own nuclear weapons combined with missile capabilities that could soon be capable of striking Italy and Europe, she added.

Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that Kyiv has also deployed air defence teams to Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia to support their efforts against Iran's aerial attacks.

Dubai Abu Dhabi news LIVE: Qatar said it would not serve as a mediator for Iran as it remains under attack from Tehran.

Mohammed bin Abdulaziz al-Khulaifi, Qatar's minister of state for foreign affairs, made the statement to the Qatari-funded satellite news network Al Jazeera in an interview aired Wednesday.

He added both Qatar and Oman had been attacked even though they worked to "build bridges between Iran and the West".

"We will not be able to fulfill that role under attack, and that's something the Iranians need to understand," al-Khulaifi said. "The regional countries are not an enemy of Iran, and the Iranians are not understanding that idea."

Dubai Abu Dhabi news LIVE: Four loud explosions were heard in Bahrain after emergency sirens went off, Reuters news agency reported.

Dubai Abu Dhabi news LIVE: The outbreak of the United States and Israel war against Iran has caused flight cancellations, rescheduling and rerouting for airlines around the world, as most airspaces in West Asia, including Qatar, remain closed due to concerns over missile and drone attacks.

The conflict has also triggered an energy crisis that has pushed fuel prices higher.

Airlines in the United Arab Emirates, including Dubai based Emirates and Abu Dhabi based Etihad, have restarted some flights since the crisis began on February 28.

However, they are still operating below normal capacity. The attack on Wednesday has again affected DXB, the world’s busiest airport for international passengers, which handled nearly 100 million passengers last year.

Dubai Abu Dhabi news LIVE: A joint Iranian military command said on Wednesday that banks and financial institutions in West Asia are now considered targets.

The Khatam al-Anbiya Headquarters released a statement identifying these targets.

The announcement came after Iranian media reported that staff at a bank in Tehran were killed in Israeli and American airstrikes.

The warning could put places such as Dubai at risk, as the city hosts many international financial institutions, along with Saudi Arabia and the island kingdom of Bahrain.

Dubai Abu Dhabi news LIVE: Australia has shut its embassies in Abu Dhabi and Tel Aviv, as well as its consulate in Dubai, the foreign minister said on Wednesday, amid concerns that the conflict in West Asia could intensify.

Foreign minister Penny Wong said at least nine cities that host Australian embassies and consulates have faced missile and drone attacks.

“Our missions in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Tel Aviv have all had to physically close in the last week.”

Australia has also instructed dependents of diplomatic staff in the United Arab Emirates and Israel to leave.

Dubai Abu Dhabi news LIVE: Two Iranian drones struck areas near Dubai International Airport on Wednesday, leaving four people injured, including an Indian national, authorities said. Flight operations at the airport continued.

The Dubai Media Office, which releases statements for the city-state’s government, said the incident caused “minor injuries to two Ghanaian nationals and one Bangladeshi national, and moderate injuries to one Indian national.”

It said flights continued.

Dubai International Airport, the base of the long-haul airline Emirates, is the world’s busiest airport for international travel. Authorities have been working to maintain the flight schedule, even as the airport has been targeted during the war.

Dubai Abu Dhabi news LIVE: Authorities have confirmed that two drones were shot down near Dubai International Airport (DXB), leading to injuries to four people, including: 2 Ghanaian nationals, 1 Bangladeshi national, and 1 Indian national.

“Authorities confirm that two drones fell in the vicinity of Dubai International Airport (DXB) a short while ago, resulting in minor injuries to two Ghanaian nationals and one Bangladeshi national, and moderate injuries to one Indian national. Air traffic is operating as normal,” the Dubai Media Office said in a statement on X.

Dubai Abu Dhabi news LIVE: According to India's ministry of civil aviation (MoCA), airlines are making the required operational arrangements in response to the developing situation. Passenger safety and the continuity of services remain the main priorities.

Operational data for March 9 shows that Indian carriers operated 45 inbound flights from West Asia, bringing 7,047 passengers into the country.

In view of the changing regional situation, airlines have asked for greater operational flexibility to ensure passenger safety and to provide evacuation support wherever necessary.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has worked with the relevant authorities to arrange additional arrival and departure slots. It has also allowed the use of Muscat International Airport as an enroute alternate airport for flights operating to and from several destinations.

These include Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah, Al Ain, Fujairah, Jeddah and Medina.

Operational plans from airlines show that Air India and Air India Express will begin flights to Riyadh from March 12. Indigo will also start its Mumbai to Riyadh to Mumbai service from the same date.

MoCA also said SpiceJet has received assistance in securing approvals for alternate airports to maintain operational safety and flexibility for flights in the region.

Meanwhile, Akasa Air has been advised to adjust the start of its planned Mumbai to Riyadh to Mumbai service in line with the current operational conditions. The airline is also scheduled to begin services on the route from March 12.

Dubai Abu Dhabi news LIVE: The Israeli military said it killed several Iranian soldiers from a drone unit at a launch site in western Iran.

Meanwhile, at least nine people were killed in the United States and Israeli attacks on the city of Aligudarz, the Tasnim news agency reported.

IRGC Colonel Seyyed Ebrahim Mousavian was the latest person killed in the strikes, the report added.

Dubai Abu Dhabi news LIVE: Iran's new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei is "safe and sound" despite reports of an injury during the war with Israel and the United States, said the son of the Iranian president on Wednesday.

"I heard news that Mr Mojtaba Khamenei had been injured. I have asked some friends who had connections. They told me that, thank God, he is safe and sound," said Yousef Pezeshkian, who is also a government adviser, in a post on his Telegram channel.

State television had called Khamenei a "wounded veteran of the Ramadan war" but never specified his injury.

Dubai Abu Dhabi news LIVE: Saudi Arabia said it intercepted seven drones that were targeting the key Shaybah oilfield near the border with the United Arab Emirates. Authorities reported no damage or casualties.

Ballistic missiles were also shot down over the eastern region, including in areas close to an airbase.

Dubai Abu Dhabi news LIVE: Nearly seven months ago, Ukraine reportedly offered the United States its low-cost interceptor drone, along with other sensors and air defence systems designed to counter Iranian-made attack drones.

However, US officials at the time did not seem very interested and chose not to buy it. Cut to now, as a military conflict has erupted between the US and Iran and Tehran is targeting American military bases in West Asia, Washington has sought help from Kyiv. Read more here.

Dubai Abu Dhabi news LIVE: Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said a Ukrainian team, including military personnel, is on its way to the Gulf region to help counter the strikes.

"Our team is now on its way to the Gulf region... Ukraine has the greatest experience in the world in countering attack drones, and without our experience it will be very difficult for the Gulf region, the entire Middle East, and partners in Europe and America to build strong protection," he said.

"Stability is important for us as well," he added.

Dubai Abu Dhabi news LIVE: Dubai's Gurudwara Guru Nanak Darbar has introduced temporary revised timings as a precautionary step until further notice.

The Gurudwara will stay open from 6 am to 7:30 pm, The Khaleej Times reported.

Dubai Abu Dhabi news LIVE: Several blasts rang out across Qatar's capital Doha on Wednesday, AFP reported, as Iran's retaliatory strikes on the Gulf entered a twelfth day.

"The security threat level is high," the interior ministry posted on X, urging "everyone to adhere to staying at home, not going out, and staying away from windows and open areas to preserve public safety".

Dubai Abu Dhabi news LIVE: Qatar’s ministry of defence said the country’s military intercepted a fresh missile attack targeting the Gulf nation.

Doha also issued an “elevated” threat level alert, urging residents to remain indoors, Al Jazeera reported.

Dubai Abu Dhabi news LIVE: Several loud explosions were heard in Qatar's Doha as Iran continues to attack neighbouring Gulf states in retaliation for US-Israeli strikes, news agencies AFP and Reuters reported.

Dubai Abu Dhabi news LIVE: Dubai's Gurudwara Guru Nanak Darbar has introduced temporary revised timings as a precautionary step until further notice.

The Gurudwara will stay open from 6 am to 7:30 pm, The Khaleej Times reported.