UAE detects Iranian missile attack for first time in months

The United Arab Emirates announced on Tuesday that its air defense systems detected two ballistic missiles launched from Iran, the first such reported attack in months. The Ministry of Defense stated via X that the first missile landed outside UAE territorial waters, while the second fell within them.

Two hours before the detection, UAE authorities had sent a mobile phone alert warning of a "possible missile threat" and urging citizens to seek "immediate safety." This was the first such warning since a false alarm in June and an incident in July where projectiles did not enter UAE airspace.

Iran had previously attacked the UAE multiple times at the beginning of the war involving the US and Israel. In May, a fire broke out at a UAE nuclear power plant following a drone attack. More recently, the Abu Dhabi government blamed Iran for missile strikes on tankers belonging to a UAE state-owned company. The Gulf state is allied with the United States and normalized relations with Israel in 2020 as part of the Abraham Accords.