Dubai Abu Dhabi highlights: UAE airlines revise travel rules for Iran citizens; Indian national injured by drone debris

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Iran's semi-official Mehr news agency reports that 400 ships are held at the Strait of Hormuz, waiting for permission from Iran to cross. It includes both cargo and oil vessels.

The ships are being held just behind the Strait of Hormuz or further down the Larak, Hormuz and Qeshm islands, per the report.

According to Al Jazeera, the Islamic Resistance, a militant group in Iraq, claimed responsibility for 41 attacks aimed at US military bases in Iraq and elsewhere in the region in a statement posted on Telegram Wednesday. Numerous drones were used to carry out the strikes, the group added.

Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Defense said in a post on X that it has intercepted fresh drones "in the past few hours." The update, posted at 2:36am IST, did not specify which locations were targeted or which side launched the strikes.

The Republican of China said on Wednesday it is in “close communication with Pakistan and relevant parties” in the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Alongside Pakistan, China wants to “play a constructive role in promoting the end of hostilities” amid the Iran war.

The statement comes after China's foreign minister Wang Yi met with a top Pakistani diplomat in Beijing on Tuesday.

Jamal Alrowaiei, Bahrain's ambassador to the United Nations, accused Iran of "economic terrorism" over the closure of Strait of Hormuz for US and Israeli allies in the region. Alrowaiei called on the UN to adopt a resolution authorising countries “to use all necessary means” to ensure safety in the Strait of Hormuz, the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.

Dubai Abu Dhabi news LIVE: In the latest sign of deteriorating ties between Iran and the UAE, the latter has announced travel restrictions for Iran nationals.

Iranians have been barred from entering the UAE with only a few exceptions, Dubai-based airlines said. Travel agencies have also been reporting high visa rejections for Iranians since the start of the conflict, AFP reported.

Dubai Abu Dhabi news LIVE: Iran's Revolutionary Guards said that they are still “firmly and dominantly” in control of the Strait of Hormuz. IRGC said the strait would not be opened by the “ridiculous displays of the US President”, Al Jazeera reported.

This came after US President Donald Trump said the Iranian President had asked for a ceasefire. Trump claimed that he had said he would consider it when the Strait of Hormuz “is open, free, and clear.”

Dubai Abu Dhabi news LIVE: In a statement on Wednesday, a UAE official denied reports suggesting a shift in the UAE’s ‘posture.’

“The UAE maintains a defensive posture focused on protecting its sovereignty, its people, and its infrastructure, and reserves its right to self-defence in response to ongoing unlawful and unprovoked attacks,” an official said in a statement.

The official reiterated the importance of Strait of Hormuz as a “vital artery for the global economy, through which a significant share of the world’s energy supplies and critical goods transit.”

“The UAE underscores that such a strategic waterway cannot be subject to disruption or coercion by any state, particularly in ways that threaten global economic stability and international security,” the statement added.

Dubai Abu Dhabi news LIVE: The UAE defence ministry said it has intercepted five missiles and 35 drones launched from Iran today.

It said air defences have intercepted 438 missiles and 2,012 drones since the start of the conflict.

Dubai Abu Dhabi news LIVE: With Tehran carrying out strikes on neighbouring countries, several UAE airlines updated their travel policies concerning Iran citizens.

According to the websites of Emirates, Flydubai, and Etihad, Iranian citizens are currently restricted from entering or transiting through the UAE. However, Flydubai said Iranians holding Golden Visa remain exempt from these restrictions.

Dubai Abu Dhabi news LIVE: United Arab Emirates petrol prices rose more than 30 percent on Wednesday, while diesel prices soared to more than 72 per cent, AFP reported.

Monthly rates set by the UAE's fuel price committee put petrol up 31-33 percent for April, with the highest grade at 3.39 AED ($0.92). Diesel, commonly used by trucks and buses, rose to 4.69 AED ($1.28) per litre.

Dubai Abu Dhabi news LIVE: An Indian national was injured from the debris after a drone interception in an industrial zone of the northern emirate of Umm Al Quwain in the UAE on Wednesday, AFP reported citing authorities.

The Umm Al Quwain media office had reported an incident “near a facility in the Umm Al Thuoob Industrial Area” resulting from falling shrapnel following the successful interception of a drone by air defence systems.

“The incident led to the injury of one Indian national,” the statement shared on official news agency WAM said.

Dubai Abu Dhabi news LIVE: UAE’s head of cybersecurity told Khaleej Times that the country has faced three times as many attacks on its digital infrastructure, coming up to 600,000 amid the conflict in West Asia.

These attacks included DDoS attacks, wiper attacks, data breaches, data leaks, ransomware, and even defacement, which is when a website is penetrated by malicious actors and replaced with other content or messages.

Dubai Abu Dhabi news LIVE: A person was injured in Umm Al-Quwain after debris from a drone which was intercepted by the air defences fell, UAE's state news agency reported, according to Reuters news agency.

Dubai Abu Dhabi news LIVE: Students in Indian curriculum schools across the UAE will start their new academic year online from April 6, with a few institutions already having begun remote classes, Khaleej Times reported.

“All scheduled events in the school calendar — including morning assemblies, student leadership induction ceremonies, and other key engagements — will proceed virtually, ensuring that student voice, leadership development and community connection remain central to the school experience,” Khaleej Times cited the principal of a school as saying.

Dubai Abu Dhabi news LIVE: Before the war, Emirati diplomats were making efforts to mediate between the US and Iran. This included a visit to Abu Dhabi by Iranian national security official Ali Larijani, who was later killed in an airstrike.

Now, the Gulf nation is aligning itself with Trump’s call for allies to take on a greater share of responsibility in the conflict, especially in efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing Arab officials.

Dubai Abu Dhabi news LIVE: UAE's Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) CEO Sultan Ahmed Al-Jaber said that Iran’s actions in the Strait of Hormuz are not a regional issue.

He said they represent global economic extortion, a threat the world cannot tolerate, news agency Reuters reported.

He urged the world to act together to protect the free flow of energy. UNSC Resolution 2817 should be upheld to ensure free navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, he said.

Dubai Abu Dhabi news LIVE: An airstrike in Iran’s capital, Tehran, on Wednesday morning appeared to have struck inside the former US embassy compound, local media reported.

The embassy has been controlled by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard since the 1979 hostage crisis.

Its all-volunteer Basij force operates the compound, running an anti-American museum inside the embassy and having different operations on its grounds in newer buildings.

Witnesses saw blown-out windows surrounding the massive compound on Tehran’s Taleghani Street. However, there was no visible missile strike around the compound, and witnesses said they believed the strike occurred inside it.

The 444-day hostage crisis saw American diplomats held until President Ronald Reagan took office from President Jimmy Carter in 1981.

Dubai Abu Dhabi news LIVE: Qatar’s ministry of defence said the country came under attack from three cruise missiles fired by Iran, one of which hit an oil tanker.

In a post on X, the ministry said two missiles were intercepted, while the third struck a tanker chartered by QatarEnergy.

The ministry added that all 21 crew members on board the tanker were evacuated safely. No injuries were reported.

Dubai Abu Dhabi news LIVE: The UAE is “willing” to join the US-Iran war, a move that could make it the first country from the Persian Gulf to take part directly in the conflict, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing officials.

Diplomats from the country have reportedly urged the US and military powers in Europe and Asia to join hands and form a coalition to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

The UAE believes that countries in Asia and Europe, which are currently cautious, may participate in clearing the strait if the UN Security Council approves, the report said.

Gulf officials said the country’s stance has now shifted. Before the war began on February 28, the UAE viewed Iran as a difficult neighbour, but one whose actions followed a certain logic, one official told the publication.

Dubai Abu Dhabi news LIVE: Flights bound for Dubai (DXB) were briefly on hold near the airport, while some aircraft continued inbound. The last landing had taken place over an hour earlier, Flightradar24 reported around an hour ago.

Official confirmation is awaited.

Dubai Abu Dhabi news LIVE: The former US Embassy building in Tehran was hit in an early Wednesday strike, Iranian media reported claiming that the attack was carried out by the US.

Witnesses quoted in the reports said damage was seen on the eastern side of the compound, near the intersection of Taleghani and South Mofatteh streets.

There has been no official confirmation so far, and authorities have not shared details on the nature of the attack or the extent of the damage.

Dubai Abu Dhabi news LIVE: Early on Wednesday morning, Saudi Arabia said it had intercepted and destroyed two drones in the previous hours.

A Gulf ally of the United States, the country has been targeted by Iran repeatedly. This week, more than two dozen American service members were injured from missile and drone attacks on a Saudi air base.

Dubai Abu Dhabi news LIVE: A Bangladeshi national was killed in Al Rifa'a in the UAE's Fujairah after debris from an intercepted drone fell on a farm.

This brings the death toll in the UAE to at least 12 since the US-Israel war on Iran began on February 28. Most of the deaths have been caused by falling debris during interceptions of Iranian drones and missiles.