The US and Israel launched a major attack on Iran on Saturday, with President Donald Trump calling on the Iranian people to “take control of their destiny” and rise up against the Islamic leadership that has ruled the country since 1979.
In response, Iran launched missiles and drones targeting Israel and US military bases in Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar.
Dubai’s Burj Khalifa evacuated?
Loud explosions were also reported in Abu Dhabi, where Iranian missiles targeted Al-Dhafra Air Base, which houses US military personnel. Several explosions rocked Dubai on Saturday. Several reports indicate the evacuation of the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world.
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According to a report in The Sunday Guardian, authorities evacuated visitors and staff from the Burj Khalifa after nearby rocket activity and explosions activated emergency protocols.
Police closed surrounding streets and asked residents to remain calm during the investigation, the release said.
Smoke rises above Abu Dhabi from the site of an Iranian missile attack on February 28, 2026. Iranian missiles hit major cities around the wealthy Gulf on February 28, killing at least one, in retaliation for a US-Israeli attack that threatened to spark a wider conflict. One civilian died in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, after being hit by falling debris, the Defense Ministry said. (Photo: AFP)(AFP)
Note: The Mint could not independently verify the authenticity of the videos.
The escalation disrupted flights across the Middle East and air defense fire was reported over Dubai, the commercial hub of the United Arab Emirates.
The United States maintains a strategic military presence in the UAE to protect maritime trade routes and support regional security operations.
State media said shrapnel from an Iranian missile attack in Abu Dhabi killed one person. Iran responded to the recent attacks, as it had warned for months, by launching missiles and drones at Israel.
A US military base in the UAE
The UAE Ministry of Defense confirmed that Iranian ballistic missiles had hit the ground, with several intercepted by the nation’s air defense systems.
Debris from the intercepts hit a residential area in Abu Dhabi, killing one person, identified as an Asian national, and causing property damage, the ministry said, citing state news agency WAM.
The UAE said it reserved the right to respond to Iranian attacks, condemning them as a “dangerous escalation”. Several missiles were intercepted, AFP reported.
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“The United Arab Emirates was today exposed to an apparent attack by Iranian ballistic missiles,” the UAE Ministry of Defense said.
“UAE air defenses responded with high efficiency and successfully intercepted a number of missiles.”
Abu Dhabi also hosts US forces at the Al Dhafra base. Meanwhile, witnesses in nearby Dubai heard an explosion and saw missiles streaking across the sky, AFP reported.
“It was a big explosion and the windows shook,” one witness told AFP, requesting anonymity, echoing a similar account from another Dubai resident.
Dubai International Airport suspends all flight operations
Meanwhile, Dubai International Airport, the world’s busiest international hub, has suspended all flight operations indefinitely.
The closure was announced by Dubai airport authorities, who said they took the decision as a precautionary measure due to escalating regional tensions and airspace security concerns.
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“Dubai Airports confirms that all flight operations at Dubai International Airport (DXB) and Dubai World Central – Al Maktoum International (DWC) are suspended until further notice,” the Dubai Media Office announced in an X post.
In a statement on X, Iran’s Foreign Ministry said: “The time has come to defend the homeland and face the enemy’s military attack.
According to Iran’s state news agency IRNA, at least 57 people were killed and dozens more injured during the Israeli-American strikes on a girls’ school in southern Iran.
(With input from agencies)
