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The United Arab Emirates Defense Ministry said on May 4 that it intercepted three missiles from Iran over the country’s territorial waters, while a fourth missile fell into the sea.
This was the first attack to target the UAE since April 9, when the ceasefire between the United States and Iran entered into effect.
“Four cruise missiles coming from Iran toward the country were detected. Three missiles were successfully intercepted over the country’s territorial waters, while another fell into the sea,” the Defense Ministry said in a statement.
The UAE sent out mobile phone alerts warning about potential missile threats throughout multiple emirates, including Dubai and the capital Abu Dhabi.
Ahead of the interceptions, the UAE said its air defense systems were responding to a missile threat, urging citizens to remain in “a safe location.”
Later, authorities in Fujairah confirmed that a fire erupted at the Fujairah Oil Industries Zone (FOIZ) as a result of a drone strike originating from Iran.
According to a statement by the Fujairah Media Office, civil defence teams responded immediately and are continuing efforts to contain the incident. The official also reported that three Indian nationals were wounded by the strike that targeted the FOIZ.
Earlier in the day, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported that a tanker had been hit by unknown projectiles while transiting about 78 nautical miles north of the city of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates.
The tanker, Barakah, belongs to the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), which said that it was empty when it was attacked by two drones launched from Iran.
Two more attacks were reported near the UAE by UKMTO after that. A vessel was targeted 36 nautical miles north of the city of Dubai. The vessel, which caught fire, was identified later as the South Korean-owned container ship HMM Namu. The second vessel was hit 14nautical miles west of Mina Saqr. A fire also broke aboard it.
Separately, a residential building was targeted in northern Oman, according to the official Oman News Agency. The attack took place when the UAE was being targeted.
Citing a security source, the agency said the building — housing employees of a company — was struck in the Tebat area of the State of Bukha, resulting in moderate injuries to two foreigners.
In addition to these attacks, the Iranian navy fired cruise missiles, rockets and combat drones near U.S. Navy vessels crossing the Strait of Hormuz, according to the Islamic Republic’s state television. The U.S. Central Command denied that any of its vessels was struck.
The escalation came a day after President Donald Trump announced that the U.S. will begin an effort to “guide” stranded ships out of the Strait of Hormuz — a choke point for around 20 percent of global oil and liquefied natural gas. The strategic waterway has been under de facto Iranian control since the start of the American-Israeli war on the Islamic Republic more than a month ago.
In line with Trump’s plan, the CENTCOM launched “Project Freedom” to restore freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.
“US Navy guided-missile destroyers are currently operating in the Arabian Gulf after transiting the Strait of Hormuz in support of Project Freedom,” the command said in a statement released just a few hours into the mission.
“As a first step, 2 US-flagged merchant vessels have successfully transited through the Strait of Hormuz and are safely headed on their journey,” it added.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, however, denied that two U.S.-flagged vessels transited the Strait of Hormuz, according to the semi-official Tasnim News Agency.
The ongoing skirmish in the Strait of Hormuz indicates that the U.S. and Iran are heading towards a second round of fighting.
Israel is guaranteed to join in as before. In fact, the Israeli military has already raised its readiness level, according to Hebrew media. Furthermore, the UAE vowed to respond to Iranian attacks on its territories. The Gulf state could also end up joining the war.
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