A plume of smoke rises from the port of Jebel Ali following a reported Iranian strike in Dubai on March 1, 2026. (Photo by Fadel Senna / AFP)
Doha, Qatar: The Ministry of Defense announced that since the start of the Iranian retaliatory attacks on February 28, 2026, three expatriate workers have died and 58 people have been injured.
The Ministry stated that on the second day of the Iranian attack, the UAE Air Force and Air Defense Forces destroyed 20 ballistic missiles, while eight missiles into the sea. They also destroyed two cruise missiles and 311 drones, while 21 drones hit civilian targets.
It further clarified that since the beginning of the Iranian attack, a total of 165 ballistic missiles launched from Iran toward the country were detected. Of these, 152 were destroyed, while 13 fell into the sea, as well as 2 cruise missiles were detected and destroyed, and 541 Iranian drones were detected, of which 506 were intercepted and destroyed, while 35 fell within the country's territory, causing material damage.
The incident resulted in the deaths of three expatriates of Pakistani, Nepalese, and Bangladeshi nationalities, and 58 minor injuries of Emirati, Egyptian, Ethiopian, Filipino, Pakistani, Iranian, Indian, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan, Azerbaijani, Yemeni, Ugandan, Eritrean, Lebanese, and Afghan nationalities.
The ministry pointed out that some debris fell in scattered areas of the country as a result of air defense systems intercepting ballistic missiles and drones, leading to minor and moderate material damage in a number of civilian properties.
It expressed that its armed forces remain on high alert and fully prepared to deal with any threats, and confirmed that the safety of citizens, residents, and visitors represents the utmost priority that cannot be compromised.
The ministry urged the honorable public to obtain information from official sources in the country and to avoid circulating rumors or unverified information.
