Dubai, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates News LIVE Update: Several loud explosions were heard early Wednesday in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, as Iran kept up its retaliatory attacks on Gulf countries, according to AFP.
The authorities noted that air defense systems have actively engaged incoming missile and drone threats from Iran, adding that the UAE has faced more than 2,000 Iranian drones and missiles since the start of the conflict, according to AFP.
The government-run Dubai Media Authority said “sounds heard in parts of the city were the result of successful air defense operations”.
The Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates (CBUAE) on Tuesday approved a package of measures to boost the stability of the country’s banking sector as Gulf economies seek to mitigate the effects of the Iran crisis, Reuters reported.
Now in its third week with no clear end in sight, the war has disrupted global energy and transportation markets as repeated attacks targeting Dubai and other Gulf states spread. While regional banks have so far remained resilient, they are facing considerable pressure, the report said.
The UAE financial system “has demonstrated resilience during the current extraordinary circumstances affecting global and regional markets without any material impact on the health and payment systems of the banking sector,” the CBUAE board said in a statement, according to Reuters.
Iran War: What’s Latest?
The Israeli military killed senior Iranian security official Ali Larijani in an overnight strike, while Iranian state media confirmed that General Gholam Reza Soleimani was also killed during a meeting with Basij commanders in a battle tent. Both figures played a key role in Iran’s crackdown on protests in January.
Gulf Arab countries came under renewed missile and drone attacks from Iran on Tuesday, targeting regional oil infrastructure. Israel also carried out new strikes in Iran and Lebanon. In Baghdad, officials said drones struck the US Embassy compound, where an Associated Press journalist witnessed a large fire.
According to officials, the US-Israeli war has left at least 1,300 dead in Iran, over 900 in Lebanon and 12 in Israel. The US military added that 13 US service members were killed and about 200 wounded.
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