Gulf Tensions Rise: Three Killed, 58 Injured in Iran’s Strikes on UAE

At least three people have been killed and 58 others wounded in the United Arab Emirates following Iran’s retaliatory missile and drone strikes across the Gulf region, Emirati authorities confirmed on Sunday.

The attacks, now in their second day, mark an unprecedented escalation in the ongoing conflict between Iran, the United States, and Israel. Powerful explosions were heard in Dubai, Doha, Manama, and Riyadh as Iran continued its military response to US and Israeli strikes that recently killed its supreme leader and other top officials.

According to Abu Dhabi’s defence ministry, the three fatalities in the UAE were nationals of Pakistan, Nepal, and Bangladesh. Since Saturday, the UAE has faced 165 ballistic missiles 152 of which were destroyed along with two intercepted cruise missiles and 541 drones, 506 of which were shot down.

Regional Fallout

In Kuwait, the health ministry reported one death and 32 injuries since the campaign began. Oman, which had been spared on the first day, reported two drone strikes on the port of Duqm one hitting a workers’ accommodation and injuring a foreign worker, while debris from the second landed near fuel tanks without causing damage or casualties.

Oman also reported that an oil tanker was targeted off its coast, forcing the evacuation of its crew, four of whom sustained injuries.

Civilian Infrastructure Hit

Across the Gulf, civilian sites have been affected, including airports, seaports, residential buildings, and hotels. In Bahrain’s capital, Manama, drones struck the airport early Sunday, causing minor damage. The US embassy later warned citizens to avoid hotels in the city, citing them as potential targets after the Crowne Plaza was hit.

In Dubai, debris from intercepted drones injured two people and damaged homes. In Abu Dhabi, a woman and child were injured when debris struck a building at the Etihad Towers. Fires were also reported at prominent locations such as The Palm development and the Burj Al Arab hotel.

At Abu Dhabi Airport, one person was killed and seven wounded in what authorities described as an “incident.” Dubai International Airport, the world’s busiest for international travel, also sustained damage.

In Qatar, officials reported 65 missiles and 12 drones launched toward the Gulf state. Most were intercepted, but eight people were injured, one critically.

Diplomatic Reactions

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is scheduled to hold an emergency video-link meeting to coordinate a unified response to the attacks.

UAE presidential adviser Anwar Gargash criticized Tehran’s actions, stating, “It isolated Iran at a critical juncture. Your war is not with your neighbours.”

Gulf security analyst Anna Jacobs noted that Gulf nations, traditionally advocates for de-escalation, now find themselves on the front lines. “If Iran continues to hit these countries and escalates even more, it will be very difficult for them to just sit and do nothing,” she said.

The oil-rich Gulf monarchies, which host several US military bases, now face mounting pressure as the conflict threatens to destabilise a region long viewed as a relative haven in the Middle East.