Abu Dhabi (Web Desk/Agencies): A large fire erupted in one of the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) most important oil industry areas on Monday after a drone strike reportedly launched from Iran, officials confirmed.
At the same time, the country’s armed forces claimed they intercepted three Iranian missiles over territorial waters, while another missile landed in the sea.
According to a statement issued by the Fujairah Media Office, emergency and civil defence crews rushed to the Fujairah Oil Industry Zone to control the flames soon after the attack. The incident also left three Indian nationals moderately injured, and they were taken to hospital for medical treatment.
The UAE Ministry of Defence announced on X that its defence systems successfully brought down three missiles. Officials added that a fourth missile failed to reach land and crashed into the water.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Navy later released a map that it claimed reflected an expansion of Iranian-controlled areas near the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian media outlets reported that the marked region included the UAE ports of Fujairah and Khorfakkan, along with parts of the Umm Al Quwain coastline.
The latest attacks ended a relatively calm phase in the UAE that had followed the ceasefire between Tehran and Washington brokered by Pakistan on April 8. That agreement had temporarily paused more than two months of heavy conflict across the Gulf.
During those clashes, UAE authorities said their military had intercepted and destroyed thousands of incoming drones and missiles aimed at the country.
After Monday’s strike, residents in Dubai and Abu Dhabi received emergency alerts on their mobile phones warning about the risk of possible missile attacks.
Fujairah’s energy infrastructure has previously been targeted during the ongoing tensions.
On March 14, a drone strike hit the Port of Fujairah, causing fires and forcing the temporary halt of certain oil-loading activities.
Fujairah has remained highly significant for the UAE’s oil exports throughout the conflict with Iran because it serves as the endpoint of the Abu Dhabi Crude Oil Pipeline. The pipeline transports crude oil from inland oilfields directly to the Gulf of Oman, allowing shipments to avoid passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
This route has enabled the UAE to maintain oil exports to international markets even while concerns over security threats in the strategic waterway continued to rise.