The United Arab Emirates on Tuesday (August 18) said Iran launched two ballistic missiles toward its territory, but neither missile struck land, hours after the UAE issued a public warning urging residents to seek shelter.
The UAE Interior Ministry later sent a phone alert saying the situation was safe and advised residents to resume normal activities.
Earlier, the Interior Ministry had issued a brief emergency alert warning residents of "potential missile threats" and instructing them to immediately move to a safe location inside the nearest secure building.
The UAE Defence Ministry separately confirmed that its air defense system had detected a missile threat directed toward the country. The incident marked the first such warning in several months, according to the UAE.
UAE missile alert follows months without attacks
The latest alert was the first since a false alarm in June and a July warning linked to an attack that ultimately did not enter UAE territory. Before those incidents, the UAE's previous missile warning had come in early May.
The latest development comes amid heightened tensions in the Middle East and renewed concerns about attacks involving Iran and Gulf states.
Tankers belonging to the UAE's state-owned oil company ADNOC have also been repeatedly targeted in recent weeks, adding to security concerns surrounding the country's energy infrastructure and maritime activity.
UAE says nearly 3,000 missiles and drones were directed at it
The UAE said it bore the brunt of Iran's attacks when the wider Middle East war began on February 28, with nearly 3,000 missiles and drones directed toward the country.
That figure, according to the UAE, was higher than the number of missiles and drones directed at any other country in the region during that period.
Attacks subsequently stopped after a memorandum of understanding between the UAE and Iran took effect in June. The arrangement has since collapsed, while other Gulf states continued to report attacks.
