Dubai airport flights disrupted after nearby drone fire, one killed in Abu Dhabi

Missiles and drone attacks struck across the UAE on Monday, with a drone-related incident sparking a fuel tank fire near Dubai airport that disrupted travel, while a missile killed a civilian in Abu Dhabi.

In the eastern emirate of Fujairah, a drone attack on oil infrastructure sparked a fire, days after an AFP journalist saw smoke rising from a major Emirati energy installation in the emirate.

The attacks came a day after Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said in an interview that rockets had been launched from the UAE to attack Kharg Island. UAE officials have denied the claim.

A Palestinian civilian was killed on the outskirts of the Emirati capital Abu Dhabi when a missile hit their car, the Abu Dhabi Media Office said in a statement.

The UAE has reported seven deaths since the war began, including five civilians and two military personnel, who died in a helicopter crash blamed on a technical malfunction.

Earlier on Monday, Dubai Airports said flights were gradually resuming at what is usually the world's busiest for international flights, following the nearby fuel tank fire sparked by a "drone-related incident".

Authorities said they had contained the fire and reported no injuries.

Dubai airport has been targeted by several attacks since Iran began its Gulf campaign, as have many airports in the Gulf.

- 'Limited schedule' -

Two witnesses told AFP they saw a thick plume of black smoke rising from the direction of the airport at around 10:00 am local time, hours after the incident.

A witness at Dubai airport told AFP that passengers awaiting their flights had been evacuated to a lower floor for several hours after the attack.

"It has been a difficult few weeks hearing explosions regularly, but the Iranian attacks followed me in my last hours before I could fly back home," the witness added.

Iran has fired over 1,900 missiles and drones at the United Arab Emirates, more than any other country targeted by Tehran since the start of the Middle East war, upending travel plans in the financial hub despite its air defence intercepting the vast majority of the projectiles.

Tehran has taken aim at US assets in the Gulf countries, but also civilian infrastructure, including landmarks, airports, ports and oil facilities, after US-Israeli attacks sparked the war.

In Fujairah, on the UAE's east coast, a drone attack on oil infrastructure sparked a large fire, authorities said, reporting no injuries and adding that "efforts continue to bring it under control".

The site sits on the UAE's Gulf of Oman coast. A pipeline to the eastern emirate allows a large proportion of the country's oil exports to bypass the Strait of Hormuz, which has effectively been closed by Iran.

AFP journalists also heard explosions in the Qatari capital Doha, where foreign ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari earlier told reporters talks with Iran are only possible if it ceases its Gulf attacks.

Neighbouring Saudi Arabia's defence ministry also reported intercepting more than 60 drones since midnight on Monday in the east of the country.

Defiant Iran says it will take war 'as far as necessary'

Iran said it was ready to take the Middle East war "as far as necessary" as it launched its strikes across the region on Monday.

Global oil prices have surged by 40 to 50 percent as Iran attacks shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and launches waves of missile and drone strikes in the Gulf in retaliation for the war launched by the United States and Israel on February 28.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said Monday they had targeted Tel Aviv and Ben Gurion Airport in Israel, as well as military bases used by US forces in the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.

"By now they have... understood what kind of nation they are dealing with, one that does not hesitate to defend itself and is ready to continue the war wherever it may lead, and take it as far as necessary," Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told reporters in Tehran.

Explosions hit the Iranian capital on Monday as air defence systems were activated, an AFP journalist said, and Israel said it had also targeted the cities of Shiraz and Tabriz.

A loud blast rang out over Jerusalem as well, after the military detected incoming missiles.

More than two weeks into the Middle East war, Israeli military spokesman Brigadier General Effie Defrin said they still had "thousands of targets in Iran, and we are identifying new targets every day". 

US President Trump called last weekend for world powers to send warships to escort tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, which normally carries one fifth of global crude.

He told the Financial Times it would be "very bad for the future of NATO" if they refused, and he has threatened to delay a planned summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

EU foreign ministers were set to discuss the issue on Monday and Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he was working with allies on a plan but ruled out a NATO mission.

Several European governments rejected the idea outright, with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's spokesman saying the war had "nothing to do with NATO". Japan and Australia said they would not be deploying warships.

- Lebanon ground assault -

On another key front in the wider war, Israel announced "limited ground operations" against Iran-backed Hezbollah in southern Lebanon "aimed at enhancing the forward defence area".

Lebanon was drawn into the Middle East war on March 2 when Hezbollah attacked Israel in response to the killing of Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

"We have identified Hezbollah is intending to expand their operations... and firing hundreds of rockets a day" toward Israel, military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani said in a briefing.

The army's announcement echoed statements in 2024, when Israel and Hezbollah fought a major war in Lebanon, and during the start of operations in Gaza in 2023.

There were fresh Israeli strikes on Sunday on the southern suburbs of Beirut, a Hezbollah bastion usually home to hundreds of thousands of people.

Israel has ordered evacuations on an unprecedented scale across vast areas of Lebanon since the war began, and Defence Minister Israel Katz said the displaced "will not return" until northern Israel is no longer threatened.

- Saudi, UAE call -

The war has engulfed much of the region, with Iran striking at least 10 countries that host US forces. Its Revolutionary Guards say it has fired some 700 missiles and 3,600 drones.

Saudi Arabia intercepted more than 60 drones overnight, its defence ministry said Monday, and Iraqi authorities said rockets wounded five people the day before at Baghdad's airport, which houses a US diplomatic facility.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Emirati President Mohamed bin Zayed expressed solidarity against "the continued and blatant Iranian attacks" in a call on Monday, without mentioning US-Israeli strikes, according to a statement published by Emirati media.

Despite the violence and 17 days of internet blackout, some Iranians have sought to restore a sense of normalcy, with cafes and restaurants reopening and the popular Tajrish bazaar busy over the weekend ahead of the upcoming Persian new year.

There is little sign of a popular uprising within Iran, where security forces killed thousands during protests in January. Judiciary chief Gholam Hossein Mohseni said Monday there must be no leniency in issuing "final verdicts" against regime opponents during the war.

More than 1,200 Iranians have been killed by US and Israeli strikes, according to the last toll from Iran's health ministry on March 8, which could not be independently verified.

The UN refugee agency says up to 3.2 million people have been displaced in Iran.