Iran attacked the United Arab Emirates for the first time in almost a month on Monday, targeting the port city of Fujairah with missiles and drones, as tensions between the U.S. and the Islamic Republic escalated. The strikes shattered a fragile ceasefire that had been in place since early April.
Attack Details
The UAE reported that its air defense systems intercepted 12 ballistic missiles, three cruise missiles, and four drones fired from Iran at various locations across the Gulf country. The attack injured three people and caused a large fire at an oil industrial zone in Fujairah, according to the emirate's media office. An oil terminal partly owned by Vitol Group was among the targets, sources familiar with the matter said.
Impact on Oil Markets
Oil prices surged following the attack, with Brent crude trading nearly six percent higher at approximately US$114 a barrel. The strikes underscored the fragility of the truce, which had been established around April 8 between Tehran and the U.S.-Israel alliance.
Background of the Conflict
The war began in late February with U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran, which retaliated by firing thousands of missiles and drones at Israel and Gulf Arab states. Thousands have been killed, primarily in Iran and Lebanon, where Israel is engaged in a parallel conflict against Iran-backed Hezbollah militants. The UAE has been targeted more than any other country in the region.
Official Response
The UAE Foreign Ministry condemned the strikes as a “dangerous escalation,” stating that the country “will not tolerate any threat to its security and sovereignty under any circumstances, and that it reserves its full and legitimate right to respond to these unprovoked attacks.” In response to the heightened threat, the Ministry of Education reinstated distance learning from Tuesday through Friday for all nurseries, public and private schools nationwide. Remote learning had previously been in place from March 2 to April 17 before in-person classes resumed on April 20.
Regional Tensions
The alerts in the UAE came hours after an Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. tanker was attacked by Iranian drones near the Strait of Hormuz. The incidents also followed the start of a U.S. “humanitarian” effort, announced by President Donald Trump, to assist stranded ships in the Persian Gulf in transiting the strait. Two U.S.-flagged merchant ships have successfully crossed so far. Iran has warned it would attack U.S. forces if they approached Hormuz and instructed commercial vessels not to traverse the waterway without prior permission.
