The United Arab Emirates shot down two ballistic missiles and three drones fired from Iran on 8 May, the latest exchange in a war that has sent strikes across the Gulf for months.
The UAE Ministry of Defence confirmed the interceptions in a statement, saying the incoming threats were “successfully engaged” before they could do major damage. Residents were told to stay away from any debris that fell from the sky.
Three people were moderately injured. Since the start of what the ministry called the “blatant Iranian attacks,” its air defences have intercepted 551 ballistic missiles, along with 29 cruise missiles and 2,263 drones, and the running injury count has reached 230 people of various nationalities.
No one died in the past few hours, the ministry said. Its cumulative toll since the escalation began stands at two martyrs plus a Moroccan civilian contractor who worked with the armed forces, with total civilian fatalities at 10 people from different nationalities.
The strike landed as the fragile truce among Iran, the United States and Israel came under fresh strain. It followed a day of exchanges between American and Iranian forces near the Strait of Hormuz. President Donald Trump said the truce was still in place, that talks with Tehran were continuing, and that the United States had taken no damage in the latest rounds.
Oil markets reacted fast, with Brent crude climbing above $100 a barrel on concern about supplies moving through the strait. Regional governments called for coordinated action, and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations met to discuss energy security while the waterway remains at risk. The exchanges have also pushed countries such as India to speed up buying air-defence systems and counter-drone technology.
The ministry said its forces remain fully prepared to confront anything that threatens the country’s security, and that the sounds of interception had been heard across many parts of the country.
Sources
- UAE intercepts new wave of Iranian missile and drone threats – The Arabian Stories News
- UAE intercepts Iranian drone, missile attack amid ceasefire strain
