A large fire broke out at the Fujairah Oil Industry Zone on Monday after what authorities described as a drone attack originating from Iran – the first such strike to cause significant damage on UAE soil since a ceasefire took hold last month. Civil defence teams were deployed immediately to contain the blaze, with three Indian nationals reported to have sustained moderate injuries and been taken to hospital. Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi said it is in contact with local authorities to ensure the welfare of those affected.
UAE’s Ministry of Defence confirmed that 12 Ballistic missiles, four drones and three cruise missiles were detected approaching the country and were intercepted on May4th. Residents across the UAE received emergency alerts – the first since the ceasefire began – urging them to seek shelter and stay away from windows and open areas. Since the start of Iranian strikes on the UAE, air defences have engaged a cumulative total of 549 ballistic missiles, 29 cruise missiles, and 2260 unmanned aerial vehicles.
Monday’s strikes shattered weeks of relative calm since the ceasefire between Washington and Tehran came into effect on April 8. Tension had been running high all day after US president Donald Trump declared that American forces would begin guiding trapped commercial vessels out of the blockaded Strait of Hormuz – a move Iran rejected, warning that any foreign military force entering the waterway would be attacked. Against that backdrop, Iranian drones and missiles targeted the UAE, sparking a fire at a major oil facility in Fujairah – a port city critical to the UAE’s ability to export oil without using the Strait. Residents across the country received emergency alerts for the first time since the ceasefire, urging them to shelter indoors.
A senior Iranian military official later said on state television that Iran had no plans to target the UAE, a claim that appears difficult to reconcile with the confirmed strikes reported earlier in the day. In response to the evolving security situation, the Ministry of Education has announced that all nurseries, as well as public and private schools across the country, will shift to distance learning from Tuesday, May 5 through Friday, May 8. Authorities say the situation will be reviewed at the end of the period, with the option of extending remote learning if needed.
Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates has strongly condemned the Iranian missile and drone attacks. In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs called the strikes a dangerous escalation and a clear violation of international law and the UN Charter, warning they pose a direct threat to the country’s security and stability. The UAE said it will not tolerate any threat to its sovereignty and has reserved the right to respond in line with international law to protect its territory and the safety of residents and visitors. It also stressed that targeting civilians and infrastructure is unacceptable under all legal and humanitarian norms, calling for an immediate halt to hostilities and holding Iran fully responsible for the attack and its consequences. The reported drone strikes on Fujairah come as ceasefire talks between Washington and Tehran remain deadlocked, with tensions over the Strait of Hormuz continuing to drive instability, raising concerns that the fragile calm in the Gulf may be breaking down.
