The United Arab Emirates has faced rising tensions with Iran over the past 24 hours, including a missile alert, a war of words and a halt in trade between the two countries, as the wider US-Iran conflict continues. Dubai and other parts of the UAE were briefly on alert on Tuesday evening after authorities issued a missile threat warning at around 6:52 p.m. local time, urging people to take shelter in the nearest secure building.
The alert was lifted within 15 minutes, with the Interior Ministry confirming the situation had been brought under control and residents could resume normal activity.
The country's Defence Ministry later said its air defence network had tracked two ballistic missiles fired from Iranian territory, one landing outside UAE waters and the other within them. Officials assessed that the missiles had likely been aimed at ships transiting the area rather than land targets, and confirmed both went down in the sea without casualties.
The UAE said its military remained on heightened alert to counter any threat to national security. It marked the first such strike on the UAE since Iranian attacks in May.
ALSO READ: UAE Accuses Iran Of Firing Two Ballistic Missiles As Gulf Tensions Re-Escalate
Tehran Responds To UAE Warning
Iran quickly denied the allegation. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei dismissed the claim as baseless, warning it risked damaging efforts to build regional trust, and called on neighbouring states to avoid levelling unverified accusations amid the current volatility.
Abu Dhabi Cuts Economic Ties
The UAE responded within hours by halting all trade, commercial activity and financial dealings with Iran indefinitely, pointing to escalating regional instability as a threat to peace and security.
The move represents a steep decline in relations that had shown signs of stabilising since a June memorandum meant to pave the way for broader talks.
ALSO READ: UAE Halts Trade And Financial Transactions With Iran After Missile Incident
War Talks Remain Stalled
The latest tensions come as a 60-day negotiating window between Washington and Tehran ended on August 17 without a deal.
Trump said this week that no talks with Iran were underway, while Tehran maintained that the Strait of Hormuz would remain closed until its demands were met. The standoff leaves the region's key shipping route and the wider conflict without a clear path forward.
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