UAE says air defences 'actively engaging' missiles, drones coming from Iran

ABU DHABI: The United Arab Emirates said Tuesday its air defences were engaging missiles and drones coming from Iran for the second consecutive day, weeks into a fragile ceasefire in the Middle East war.

"UAE air defence systems are actively engaging with missiles and UAV threats," the defence ministry said in a statement on X, adding that they had "come from Iran".

The ministry confirmed that the sounds heard in scattered areas of the country are the result of the UAE's air defence systems intercepting ballistic, cruise missiles, and drones.

On Monday, an Iranian drone attack caused a fire, injuring three people at an energy installation in Fujairah, close to the blockaded Strait of Hormuz, the vital waterway that is the focus of tensions between the US and Iran.

Fujairah is the UAE's main oil export terminal, bypassing the Strait of Hormuz.

UAE authorities said four cruise missiles were launched, with three successfully shot down and another falling into the sea.

The oil-rich UAE, a staunch US ally on Iran's doorstep, has borne the brunt of Tehran's retaliation, having been targeted by more than 2,800 missiles and drones during the war.

Fire at UAE’s Fujairah port not a planned Iranian attack, says Iranian military official

An unnamed Iranian military official said the fire at Fujairah port was not a planned Iranian attack and instead blamed what he described as United States “military adventurism,” according to Al Jazeera.

“The Islamic Republic had no pre‑planned programme to attack the mentioned oil facilities, and what happened was the result of US military adventurism aimed at creating a passage for the illegal transit of ships through the restricted waterways of the Strait of Hormuz,” the official told Iran’s IRIB news agency.

“The US military must be held accountable for this. US officials must put an end to the improper practice of using force in the diplomatic process and stop military adventurism in this sensitive oil region, which affects the economies of countries around the world.”

Iran's parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said in a social media post on Tuesday that the security of shipping and energy transit had been threatened by breaches of the four-week-old ceasefire by the US and its allies.

"The new equation of the Strait of Hormuz is in the process of being solidified. The security of shipping and energy transit has been jeopardised by the United States and its allies through the violation of the ceasefire and the imposition of a blockade," the X post read.

"We know well that the continuation of the current situation is unbearable for the United States, while we have not even begun yet," he said.