Drone fires at UAE oil site as Gulf takes more hits amid Iran war | US-Israel war over Iran news

The Fujairah oil hub has been hit repeatedly by Iranian drones as the US-Israeli war continues to destabilize the region.

A drone strike has sparked a firestorm in the Fujairah oil industry zone of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), as Iran continues its relentless attacks on Gulf countries amid a joint United States-Israeli war on its soil two weeks ago.

The Fujairah government media office said on Tuesday that there were no casualties from the attack on the fuel facility, 150 km (93 miles) east of Dubai.

After another fire broke out at the Fujairah oil hub on Saturday, debris fell during an interception by a drone.

Abu Dhabi authorities reported a separate incident involving falling debris in the Bani Yas area after a ballistic missile was intercepted by air defense systems. The incident resulted in the death of a Pakistani national, the Abu Dhabi Media Office said.

Meanwhile, the UAE Defense Ministry said its air defenses repel incoming missiles and drones from Iran, causing loud bangs and a brief closure of UAE airspace.

After Israel and the US launched joint airstrikes on Tehran on February 28, Iran has sought to justify its attacks on Gulf states by arguing that the presence of US military bases on their soil makes those states legitimate targets.

However, civil infrastructure including landmarks, airports, ports and oil facilities across the Gulf has also been hit.

The UAE, which normalized relations with Israel in 2020, has borne the brunt of the attacks. Iran has fired more than 1,800 missiles and drones at the UAE, more than any other country Tehran has attacked in the conflict.

All Gulf Arab states have been affected, reporting more than 2,000 missile and drone attacks since the war began.

Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait also banned drones and missiles on Tuesday.

Qatar’s interior ministry said civil defense personnel were dealing with a “limited fire” in an industrial area after shrapnel from an intercepted missile.

A public safety alert was issued in Qatar amid the sound of explosions for residents of Doha. “No injuries were recorded,” the ministry said in a post on social media.

Al Jazeera’s Victoria Gatenby, reporting from Doha, said: “The authorities are dealing at the moment. No one is injured.”

“There are more disruptions across the region. The UAE’s entire airspace had to be closed for several hours early this morning due to a missile warning from Iran. It has now reopened, but major transit hubs such as Dubai International Airport had to cancel or reschedule flights, causing massive disruption for passengers.

He said Tuesday’s death in Abu Dhabi “came after the same authorities confirmed yesterday that a Palestinian man had died after a rocket hit a residential area. These attacks from Iran are still causing massive disruption in the region.”

Saudi Arabia’s defense ministry said two drones were intercepted and destroyed in the east of the country. Earlier, Saudi forces had successfully engaged and destroyed six drones in the same region of the country, the ministry said.

The Kuwait National Guard announced it had successfully intercepted two drones without specifying the target or location of the attack.

In a joint statement, Gulf Cooperation Council countries on Monday condemned “sinful Iranian attacks” and vowed to defend their territories.