UAE reports three dead in Iranian attacks, reserves right to respond

2026-03-04 - 12:32

The United Arab Emirates has disclosed casualty figures from the ongoing Iranian assault, confirming that three foreign workers lost their lives and dozens more sustained injuries during the barrage of missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles targeting the Gulf state. The Defense Ministry announced Wednesday that Bangladeshi, Pakistani and Nepali nationals were among those killed since hostilities commenced over the weekend. Air defenses intercept hundreds of Iranian projectiles In a detailed operational assessment published on the social media platform X, the UAE Defense Ministry outlined the scale of the Iranian offensive and the effectiveness of its defensive measures. Air defense systems successfully engaged three ballistic missiles on Wednesday alone, while detecting a total of 129 drones and intercepting 121 of them, with eight falling within national territory. Since the campaign began, Emirati forces have detected 189 ballistic missiles, destroying 175, while 13 landed in the sea and one struck land. The ministry also reported that 941 Iranian drones were fired toward the UAE, with 876 intercepted and 65 impacting inside the country, along with eight cruise missiles that were all destroyed. Abu Dhabi condemns sovereignty violation The Defense Ministry characterized the Iranian attacks as a "blatant" violation of international norms, stating they represent a "clear violation of national sovereignty and international law." Officials emphasized that explosions heard across various areas resulted from interception operations rather than direct hits. The ministry confirmed the attacks caused "some collateral damage" but did not provide specific details about affected sites or infrastructure. UAE maintains right to retaliate In a statement carrying significant diplomatic weight, the ministry declared that the UAE reserves the right to respond to the escalation and take all necessary steps to protect its territory and people. This warning comes as Tehran continues its retaliatory campaign against US and Israeli interests following the Saturday strikes that reportedly killed approximately 800 individuals, including Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The widening conflict now directly threatens Gulf Cooperation Council states that host American military assets, potentially drawing additional regional powers into the confrontation.