Residents in Dubai were in complete panic as they received alerts on their phones about a possible missile attack on Friday amid the ongoing military hostilities in the Middle East with Iran attacking US bases in several Gulf countries over the past week.
According to the alerts, residents have been warned against venturing outdoors; be prepared for any situation and act with caution.
“We received four back-to-back alerts on our phones. We’ve stocked up on essential supplies and prepared a bag with important documents, including passports, in case of an emergency,” a Dubai resident told India Today.
Following Iran’s attacks on Gulf countries, air travel across the Middle East has faced major disruptions amid a rapidly escalating conflict. The crisis was triggered by coordinated airstrikes by Israel and the United States that killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The situation has led to widespread airspace closures and significant travel chaos across the region.
Dubai, which hosts one of the world’s busiest international airports and serves as a major global transit hub, has also been affected as tensions escalated after Iran’s retaliation to the joint offensive.
As a result, many Indian travelers have been stranded in Gulf countries – especially in the United Arab Emirates – after multiple flights were disrupted.
Since Monday (March 2), several stranded passengers have been able to return to India. Many travellers praised the authorities in Dubai and the UAE, saying the situation was managed smoothly despite the disruptions.
Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates has rejected a media report claiming it was considering joining the United States and Israel in military strikes against Iran.
On Tuesday, a report by Axios said the UAE was weighing what it described as an unprecedented step in response to Iranian drone and missile attacks targeting the country.
Shortly after the report appeared, the UAE issued a statement through its state news agency, Emirates News Agency (WAM), clarifying that it “has not taken any decision to change its defensive posture in response to the repeated Iranian attacks.”
The clarification came amid rising tensions in the region, with Iran launching a series of missile and drone strikes aimed at key locations in the UAE.
Among the sites reportedly targeted were the US consulate in Dubai and Al Dhafra Air Base in Abu Dhabi, following US–Israeli strikes on Iran that began on February 28.
Tensions across the Middle East have remained extremely high since February 28, when the United States and Israel carried out joint military strikes on Iran aimed at preventing it from developing a nuclear arsenal.