DUBAI: The United Arab Emirates said on Tuesday its air defence systems were intercepting missile and drone threats, marking a second consecutive day of attacks, while Iran denied carrying out any strikes against the Gulf country.
The UAE Ministry of Defence said its systems were “actively engaging with missiles and UAV threats”, adding that sounds heard across the country were the result of ongoing interception operations.
تتعامل حالياً الدفاعات الجوية الإماراتية مع اعتداءات صاروخية وطائرات مسيرة قادمة من ايران وتؤكد وزارة الدفاع أن الاصوات المسموعة في مناطق متفرقة من الدولة هي نتيجة تعامل منظومات الدفاعات الجوية الإماراتية للصواريخ الباليستية، والجوالة والطائرات المسيرة.
UAE Air Defences system… pic.twitter.com/CVJeI7MMcA
— وزارة الدفاع |MOD UAE (@modgovae) May 5, 2026
The Gulf state said the latest incidents followed attacks a day earlier, when at least three people were injured and a drone strike sparked a fire at a key oil facility in the eastern emirate of Fujairah.
On Monday evening, UAE authorities said air defences had engaged incoming missile and drone threats while firefighters worked to contain a blaze in a major oil industry zone.
The defence ministry said the attack had originated from Iran.
Iran denies involvement
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) rejected the accusations, denying any involvement in recent attacks.
“Our forces have not carried out any missile or drone operations against the UAE in recent days,” the IRGC spokesperson said in a statement carried by the Fars news agency.
“If any action had been taken, we would have announced it firmly and clearly. Therefore, the report of that country’s Ministry of Defence is absolutely denied and is devoid of any truth,” the statement added.
سخنگوی قرارگاه مرکزی خاتمالانبیا(ص): ایران در روزهای گذشته هیچگونه عملیات موشکی و پهپادی علیه امارات انجام نداده؛ اگر از خاک امارات، اقدامی علیه ایران انجام شود، پاسخ کوبنده و پشیمانکننده خواهیم دادhttps://t.co/YxyrmxMZ82 pic.twitter.com/TeIg1lEvsn
— خبرگزاری ایسنا (@isna_farsi) May 5, 2026
Strait of Hormuz tensions
Meanwhile, US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth said Washington was “not looking for a fight” but warned that any attack on commercial shipping or US forces would trigger a strong response.
“We’re not looking for a fight. But Iran also cannot be allowed to block innocent countries and their goods from an international waterway,” he told reporters.
“If you attack American troops or innocent commercial shipping, you will face overwhelming and devastating American firepower,” he added.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine said the decision to escalate would ultimately be political but noted that tensions remained high.
