Dubai: The United Arab Emirates has responded to a drone, detected over the country's territorial waters, the Defence Ministry said on Monday. The unmanned aircraft had approached from the direction of Iran, the ministry confirmed, without providing further details.
According to Ghana News Agency, Iran's military claimed it had launched dozens of drones targeting a location in the UAE, as reported by the Tasnim news agency. The report specifically mentioned that Al Minhad Air Base, located south-east of Dubai, was the intended target. In response, the Emirati Defence Ministry refuted reports that the air base had been targeted by missiles, labeling such claims as false.
The UAE armed forces are maintaining a heightened state of alert to respond to potential threats, the ministry stated. Gulf states, including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Qatar, host significant US military bases and have frequently been the targets of Iranian retaliatory strikes since the conflict began six months ago.