France Deploys Rafale Jets to Protect UAE Bases Amid Iranian Threats

France has deployed Rafale fighter jets over the United Arab Emirates to bolster the security of its naval and air bases against potential Iranian attacks, Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot confirmed on Tuesday.

Speaking to BFMTV, Barrot stated that the aircraft, stationed at the Dhafra base near Abu Dhabi, have been mobilized to ensure the protection of French facilities in the Gulf state, which hosts hundreds of French navy, air force, and army personnel.

“These Rafales and their pilots are mobilised to ensure the security of our facilities,” Barrot said. “They have carried out operations to secure the airspace above our bases.”

The deployment follows an incident on Sunday, when a hangar at a French base in the UAE was struck by a drone. Barrot noted that discussions are ongoing to assess both how the UAE can defend against future attacks and how France can safeguard its interests in the region.

The French move comes amid heightened tensions following coordinated US and Israeli strikes on Iran over the weekend, which resulted in the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. In response, Iran has launched attacks on US allies in the Gulf, explicitly threatening to drive up energy costs and disrupt the global economy.

In a separate incident on Monday, a drone struck a fuel tank terminal in Abu Dhabi, sparking a fire. Operations at the terminal were not impacted, according to officials.

Tech giant Amazon also reported late Monday that two of its data centres in the UAE were “directly struck” by drones, leading to disruptions in cloud services across parts of the Middle East.