Drone and Missile Strikes Hit UAE and Qatar Amid Rising Iran-Gulf Tensions
Authorities respond to attacks on industrial and civilian infrastructure as regional conflict escalates
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — A series of attacks on Tuesday targeted industrial and civilian infrastructure in the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, as regional tensions intensify amid the ongoing conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran.
Authorities reported a drone attack in Abu Dhabi’s Ruwais Industrial City and missile interceptions in Doha, raising concerns over the security of critical energy facilities in the Gulf.
In the UAE, Abu Dhabi authorities said a drone strike caused a fire in Ruwais Industrial City, an area housing oil and energy infrastructure. “Authorities in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi are responding to a fire at a facility within the Ruwais Industrial City, caused by a drone attack. No injuries have been reported so far,” the Abu Dhabi media office said in a statement on X.
Officials did not specify whether any energy infrastructure had been damaged.
Meanwhile, several loud explosions were heard in the Qatari capital, Doha, where AFP journalists reported heightened security activity. The Qatari Defense Ministry said the military had successfully intercepted a missile attack, while the Interior Ministry warned residents that “the security threat level is high” and called on people to stay indoors.
Qatar’s Foreign Ministry condemned the strikes, with spokesman Majed al-Ansari saying that Iran has continued its attacks against civilian infrastructure in the Gulf. “We rebuke any justification that the Iranians are offering for these attacks,” he said, warning that assaults on energy facilities could “cause repercussions throughout the world.”
The growing attacks on UAE and Qatari targets mark a worrying escalation in the wider regional conflict, which has seen Iran and its allied militias conduct cross-border strikes across Iraq and the Gulf, while US and Israeli forces continue to conduct targeted airstrikes.
The strikes underscore the growing vulnerability of Gulf energy infrastructure amid the ongoing war and highlight the broader implications for global energy markets and regional security.