Dubai, Sept 1:
The United Arab Emirates said on Monday that its air force intercepted an Iranian drone over its territorial waters, in a fresh escalation amid renewed fighting between the United States and Iran.
The UAE Defence Ministry said the drone was detected approaching from Iran and was “dealt with” after entering UAE territorial waters. No damage was immediately reported.
The incident came after US forces carried out strikes against Iranian rocket launchers on Sunday, ending a lull in direct US-Iran military action that had lasted for about a month.
Iran subsequently launched missiles towards US sites in Jordan, with Jordanian authorities saying they intercepted eight missiles that entered their airspace.
The UAE Defence Ministry separately denied reports in Iranian media that the Al Minhad Air Base in Dubai had been targeted by Iranian missiles.
The latest drone incident has raised fresh concerns about the possibility of the conflict spreading across the Gulf region.
The fighting began on February 28, and Iran has since targeted US military bases and infrastructure in Gulf countries.
The conflict has also severely disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important energy routes. The waterway carried roughly one-fifth of global oil traded by sea before the conflict, and prolonged disruption has sent energy prices higher.
Brent crude rose above $90 a barrel as the latest fighting resumed.
UAE diplomatic adviser Anwar Gargash called for a political solution and said the existing “state of neither war nor peace” could not continue indefinitely.
He urged a realistic political roadmap that would allow normal navigation through the Strait of Hormuz to resume.
The UAE has sought to maintain its position as a regional economic and financial centre while avoiding direct involvement in the wider conflict.
The latest confrontation, however, has highlighted the security risks faced by Gulf states as US-Iran tensions intensify.
There was no immediate statement from Tehran claiming responsibility for the drone incident.