The United Arab Emirates said on Sunday it would close its embassy in Tehran and recall its ambassador after Iran’s retaliatory missile and drone attacks in the Persian Gulf killed four people and wounded many others, AFP reported.
It represents the strongest response yet from the Gulf state since Iran launched a wave of strikes across the region in retaliation for a US and Israeli air campaign that killed Iran’s supreme leader and other senior officials, the report said.
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See the statement here
“These hostile attacks against civilian sites, including residential areas, airports, ports and service facilities, put innocent civilians at risk in a serious and irresponsible escalation,” the UAE Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
The UAE fully reopened its embassy and sent a new ambassador to Tehran in 2022 amid a thaw in relations between the Emirates and the Islamic Republic. Saudi Arabia later followed suit.
Iran’s ongoing and unprecedented bombing campaign in the Persian Gulf has raised fears of a wider conflict and shaken a region long seen as a haven of peace and security in the turbulent Middle East.
Heavy explosions were heard in Dubai, Doha and Manama the next day
For a second day in a row, AFP reporters heard repeated, loud explosions in Dubai, Doha and Manama, with blasts also reported in Riyadh, as Iran retaliated against US and Israeli strikes that killed its supreme leader and other top officials.
On Sunday, Tehran also appeared to attack a compound of buildings in Abu Dhabi that houses several foreign missions, including the Israeli embassy.
Two people were injured by debris during the incident at Etihad Towers, AFP reported.
According to the Abu Dhabi Ministry of Defense, three people – citizens of Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh – have been killed in the United Arab Emirates since Saturday.
As of Saturday, the UAE had detected 165 ballistic missiles, destroyed 152 and intercepted two cruise missiles, the ministry said.
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It added that 506 of Iran’s 541 drones had been shot down, AFP reported.
Kuwaiti authorities said one person had died and 32 others had been injured since Saturday.
In Oman, which played a role in brokering US-Iran talks and was initially spared during the first day of Iranian strikes, two drones struck the port of Duqm, according to the Oman News Agency.
Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi later on Sunday called for a ceasefire during talks with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi.
Albusaidi “reaffirmed the Sultanate of Oman’s continued call for a ceasefire and a return to dialogue… in a manner that meets the legitimate demands of all parties,” his ministry said in a readout of the call.
Hotels become destinations
Earlier, Oman said an oil tanker was the target off the coast. Its crew was evacuated and four of them were injured, the news agency said.
The Gulf Cooperation Council was due to meet via video link later on Sunday to coordinate a response to the Iranian attacks.
Throughout the Persian Gulf, civilian infrastructure was affected: from airports and seaports to residential buildings and hotels.
Security analyst Anna Jacobs said: “The Gulf countries are really on the front lines of this brutal war right now.”
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“The Gulf countries want to support de-escalation and diplomacy as always… But that commitment and those principles are being tested right now,” she added.
“If Iran continues to attack these countries and escalate further, it will be very difficult for them to just sit back and do nothing.”
Drones struck an airport in the Bahraini capital Manama early Sunday, causing minor damage, authorities said.
The US Embassy in Manama urged citizens to avoid hotels in Manama, warning that they could become potential targets after the Crowne Plaza was hit.
– Palm, Burj Al Arab –
In the United Arab Emirates, which bore the brunt of the attacks, two people were injured when debris from captured drones hit homes in Dubai, authorities said.
On Saturday, Iranian attacks sparked fires at landmarks such as The Palm waterfront and the Burj Al Arab hotel.
At least one person was killed and seven injured at Abu Dhabi airport in what authorities called an “incident,” and another died earlier in the day from falling debris.
Dubai airport, which is the world’s busiest for international traffic, and Kuwait airport were also affected.
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Saudi Arabia intercepted Iranian missiles aimed at Riyadh International Airport and Prince Sultan Air Base, which houses US military personnel, a Gulf source told AFP.
A witness near the airport said they “saw and heard air defense intercept a missile in the sky”.
In Qatar, host to the largest US military base in the region, officials said Iran fired 65 missiles and 12 drones towards the Gulf state, most of which were intercepted, but eight people were injured, with one in critical condition.
The oil and gas-rich Arab monarchies host a cluster of US military bases.
