Fire broke out at a major UAE oil industry zone on Monday after a drone attack originating from Iran, authorities said, as the Gulf state's military separately intercepted three Iranian missiles over its waters and a fourth crashed into the sea.
Fujairah, UAE © Mena Today
Fire broke out at a major UAE oil industry zone on Monday after a drone attack originating from Iran, authorities said, as the Gulf state's military separately intercepted three Iranian missiles over its waters and a fourth crashed into the sea.
Civil defence teams were deployed immediately to contain the blaze at the Fujairah Oil Industry Zone, the Fujairah Media Office said in a statement, adding that three Indian citizens were moderately injured in the attack and taken to hospital.
The UAE defence ministry said on X that its forces had intercepted three missiles, with a fourth falling into the sea.
Iran's Revolutionary Guards Navy issued a map it said showed an expansion of areas under Iranian control near the Strait of Hormuz, encompassing the UAE ports of Fujairah and Khorfakkan as well as the coast of the Umm Al Quwain emirate, Iranian news agencies reported.
The drone attacks shattered a period of relative calm in the UAE since a Pakistani-mediated ceasefire between Washington and Tehran took effect on April 8, pausing more than two months of intense fighting in the Gulf region.
During the period of intense conflict, the UAE said it had intercepted and destroyed thousands of drones and missiles.
UAE authorities on Monday issued mobile phone alerts in Dubai and Abu Dhabi warning of the possibility of missile attacks.
Monday's strike was not the first time Fujairah's energy infrastructure had been in the crosshairs. A drone attack on March 14 had previously hit the Port of Fujairah, triggering fires and the suspension of some oil-loading operations.
Fujairah has been critical to UAE oil exports during the Iran war as it sits at the end of the Abu Dhabi Crude Oil Pipeline, which carries crude from inland fields to the Gulf of Oman, bypassing the Strait of Hormuz.
This has allowed the UAE to continue shipping oil to global markets even as the waterway remained under threat.
Editing by Alexander Smith
The United Arab Emirates has signed a landmark defence agreement on Monday, acquiring 10 Embraer C-390 Millennium aircraft in what the Brazilian manufacturer describes as the largest international deal ever signed for the type. The contract also includes options for additional units.
Imprisoned Iranian Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi, who was taken from jail to hospital last week, requires urgent specialised medical care to treat a life-threatening heart condition, her brother told Reuters on Monday.
The U.S. military said two U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyers had entered the Gulf to break an Iranian blockade and that two U.S. ships had transited the Strait of Hormuz, after Iran said it had prevented a U.S. warship entering the Gulf.
To make this website run properly and to improve your experience, we use cookies. For more detailed information, please check our Cookie Policy.
Necessary cookies enable core functionality. The website cannot function properly without these cookies, and can only be disabled by changing your browser preferences.