Drone attack disrupts Dubai flights as Iran continues Gulf attacks

At least one person killed in Abu Dhabi. Dubai flights disrupted, and fire breaks out in Fujairah after Iranian attacks.Smoke rises from a fire at Dubai International Airport in Dubai on March 16, 2026, after a drone attack [Fadel Senna/AFP]Published On 16 Mar 2026The United Arab Emirates has announced the diversion of some flights from Dubai International Airport, one of the world’s busiest, after a drone attack sparked a fire near the facility as Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi Arabia also have reported intercepting drones and missiles.The Dubai Media Office said civil defence teams on Monday “successfully contained the fire resulting from impact to one of the fuel tanks in the vicinity” of the airport, noting that no injuries had been reported.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Trump says ‘many countries’ will send warships to Hormuz amid Iran blockadelist 2 of 3Iran war: What is happening on day 16 of US-Israel attacks?list 3 of 3How Trump’s unchecked power has changed the worldend of listSome flights were diverted to Al Maktoum International Airport, the office said on X.The Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, meanwhile, said it was suspending flights at the airport “as a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of all passengers and staff”. It did not say when it expected flights to resume.Authorities in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the UAE, are responding to “an incident involving a missile falling on a civilian vehicle in Al Bahyan area”, according to the city’s media office. The incident resulted in the death of a Palestinian, it said in a post on X.Later on Monday morning, the emirate’s media office said a fire had broken out in an industrial zone in Fujairah after a drone attack.Civil defence teams were trying to bring the fire under control, and no injuries were reported, it added.A fire broke out at the Fujairah oil hub after debris fell during the interception of a drone on Saturday.The incidents came three days after the city media office said two falling drones wounded four people near the airport.The UAE’s Ministry of Defence has reported six deaths since the war began on February 28, including four civilians and two military personnel who died in a helicopter crash blamed on a technical malfunction.Iran justifies its attacksIran has sought to justify its attacks on Gulf countries by arguing that the presence of United States military bases on their soil makes those states legitimate targets after Israel and the US launched joint air strikes on Tehran on February 28.However, civilian infrastructure has also been hit, including landmarks, airports, ports and oil facilities across the Gulf.The UAE, which normalised relations with Israel in 2020, has faced the brunt ‌of the attacks.Iran has fired more than 1,800 missiles and drones at the UAE, more than any other country targeted by Tehran in the conflict, upending travel plans in the financial hub despite its air defences intercepting a vast majority of the projectiles.All Gulf Arab states have been affected. They have reported more ⁠than 2,000 missile and drone attacks since the war began and have condemned Iran.In a phone call on Monday, UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman condemned the “sinful Iranian attacks” on the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and affirmed their intentions to defend their territories.The GCC, United Kingdom and Jordan issued a joint statement condemning Iranian aggression and calling for de-escalation.The Saudi Ministry of Defence on Monday announced that it intercepted three waves of drones in the country’s east. It said 12 drones were destroyed in the latest wave while six were shot down before that and another five were intercepted earlier.The report came after the ministry reported it had intercepted 37 drones early in the morning.Attacks were also reported in Qatar on Sunday night with its Ministry of Defence saying all the drones in its airspace were intercepted.Kuwait International Airport was also struck and radar equipment damaged although Iran denied responsibility for those attacks.Al Jazeera’s Zein Basravi, reporting from Doha, said Gulf states were undergoing a “recalibration” of their foreign policies.“Arab leaders are addressing their relationship not just with Iran, where political collateral has been squandered in the last two and a half weeks of Iran’s retaliation,” Basravi said.“If experts are to be believed, Gulf states are looking at the US not as a stable, reliable, long-term partner [any more].”Meanwhile, more strikes were reported in Iran’s capital, Tehran, after Israel announced it had launched a new wave of attacks.Al Jazeera’s Mohamed Vall said the strikes were “some of the strongest we have seen so far”.“The Iranians are watching and are very much concerned with over three million people already displaced from their homes due to the intense bombardments,” he said.Nearly 1,500 civilians have already been reported killed in Iran.The Iranian Red Crescent Society said the latest air raids on Tehran damaged one of its clinics and an aid relief post. Footage posted online by the group showed broken glass and damaged equipment strewn on the ground.Several hospitals and other health facilities have been damaged by strikes across Iran since the US-Israeli attacks began.