DUBAI, March 16 (Xinhua) -- Iranian missile and drone attacks have killed seven people in the United Arab Emirates since Feb. 28, the UAE Defense Ministry said on Monday, as the fallout from U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran continues to ripple across the region.
The ministry said the attacks have claimed two military personnel and five civilians and injured 145 people of various nationalities, with injuries ranging from minor to severe. UAE forces have intercepted 304 ballistic missiles, 15 cruise missiles, and 1,627 drones launched from Iran over the same period.
Monday's assault involved six ballistic missiles and 21 drones, with strikes reported across Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Fujairah, and Umm Al Quwain. In the deadliest incident, a missile hit a civilian vehicle in Abu Dhabi's Al Bahyah district, killing a Palestinian national.
A drone strike near Dubai International Airport, one of the world's busiest travel hubs, hit a fuel tank and triggered a large fire, forcing a temporary halt to operations. Flights have since gradually resumed to select destinations. In Umm Al Quwain, another drone strike ignited a building, causing a fire but no casualties. In Fujairah, a strike set ablaze the Fujairah Oil Industry Zone, a major crude export and ship-refueling hub outside the Strait of Hormuz, before civil defense teams extinguished it; no injuries were reported there.
The ministry said it remains on high alert and prepared to respond to further threats.
The attacks are part of a broader regional escalation triggered by joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran beginning Feb. 28, which killed former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Since then, Iran and allied groups have launched waves of retaliatory strikes on Israeli and U.S. interests across the Middle East. ■
