UAE says intercepted 15 missiles, four drones launched from Iran

  The UAE’s Ministry of Defense said Emirati air defenses intercepted 12 ballistic missiles, three cruise missiles, and four drones launched...

 

The UAE’s Ministry of Defense said Emirati air defenses intercepted 12 ballistic missiles, three cruise missiles, and four drones launched from Iran on Monday, resulting in three moderate injuries.

The UAE said it reserved the “full and legitimate right” to respond to the latest Iranian attacks.

In a statement released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the UAE said the attacks represented a serious escalation and posed a direct threat to the country’s security.

Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretary-General Jasem al-Budaiwi condemned Iran’s attacks on the UAE, describing them as “a serious act of aggression and a blatant escalation.”

Earlier on Monday, the UAE strongly condemned an Iranian drone attack on an ADNOC oil tanker in the blockaded Strait of Hormuz, as the United States prepared to begin escorting ships through the waterway.

Two drones struck the MV Barakah off the coast of Oman, but no injuries were reported, UAE state oil giant ADNOC said, adding that the vessel was not carrying cargo.

“Targeting commercial shipping and using the Strait of Hormuz as a tool of economic coercion or blackmail represents acts of piracy by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps,” the UAE foreign ministry said.

The incident came as President Donald Trump said the United States would begin guiding ships through the strategic waterway from Monday.

The US and Iran remain deadlocked in peace negotiations since a ceasefire in the Middle East war took effect on April 8.

Iran launched more than 2,800 drones and missiles at the UAE between February 28, the first day of the war, and the April 8 ceasefire, making it the most heavily targeted country in Tehran’s campaign.