UAE Defense Ministry: Air Defenses Intercepted a Missile Threat Against the Country

According to ISNA, carried by Donya-e-Eqtesad on Tuesday, 18 August 2026 (27 Mordad 1405) at 19:16 Tehran time, the United Arab Emirates' Ministry of Defense said in a statement that the country's air defense systems detected and intercepted a missile threat targeting the UAE. Per the statement, loud explosions were heard over Dubai at the same time, which the ministry said resulted from the air defense operation.

The UAE's Ministry of Interior sent emergency alert messages to residents' mobile phones, urging them to immediately follow safety measures and take shelter in secure locations. The Defense Ministry said the UAE remains fully prepared to counter any threat. Details on the projectile's origin, the exact interception location, or any damage had not been released as of this report. The incident follows months of tension between Iran and the United States and Israel, and a series of earlier missile strikes on Emirati tankers in the Strait of Hormuz.