ABU DHABI: The United Arab Emirates said it has closed its embassy in Tehran and withdrawn its ambassador and all diplomatic staff after Iranian missile strikes targeted Emirati territory.
In a statement posted on X by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the UAE announced the closure of its mission and condemned “Iranian missile attacks”.
“The UAE announces closure of its embassy in Tehran and withdrawal of its ambassador and all members of its diplomatic mission, and condemns the Iranian missile attacks,” the statement said.
Abu Dhabi alleged that the strikes hit sites including residential areas, airports, ports and service facilities.
The foreign ministry described the attacks as a dangerous and irresponsible escalation that violated national sovereignty, international law and the Charter of the United Nations.
The UAE has been hit by Iranian missile and drone strikes since Saturday, which Tehran says are in response to joint US–Israeli attacks on Iran.
UAE Announces Closure of Embassy in Tehran and Withdrawal of Ambassador and Diplomatic Mission, Condemns Iranian Missile Attackshttps://t.co/u5Kv5Axh3I pic.twitter.com/Yj0FVI26R2
— MoFA وزارة الخارجية (@mofauae) March 1, 2026
UAE’s defence ministry said three of those killed were Pakistani, Nepalese and Bangladeshi nationals.
The defence ministry said the UAE had detected 165 ballistic missiles since Saturday, destroying 152 of them.
It said two cruise missiles were intercepted and 506 out of 541 Iranian drones were shot down.
US-Israeli strikes on Iran
The developments come as US and Israeli air strikes continue to target Tehran and other Iranian cities.
Tehran has been rocked by repeated explosions, Al Jazeera reported on Sunday.
The conflict intensified after Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several senior commanders were killed in joint US and Israeli strikes on Saturday.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said a new leadership council had begun work following Khamenei’s death.
Under the country’s constitutional framework, the Assembly of Experts is tasked with selecting the next supreme leader.
Until a successor is chosen, a three-member council will govern the country. Pezeshkian and judiciary chief Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei have pledged continuity.
The third member was announced as Ayatollah Alireza Arafi, a member of the Guardian Council.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told Al Jazeera the leadership selection process could be completed within days.
Iran vows retaliation
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) vowed revenge for Khamenei’s death.
It said it had launched “the heaviest offensive operations” against Israel and US bases in the region.
Senior Iranian military officials, including IRGC commander Mohammad Pakpour and armed forces chief of staff Abdolrahim Mousavi, were reported killed in the initial strikes.
Security chief Ali Larijani said on X that Iran did not wish to attack neighbouring countries but considered US bases there as “American territory”.
In a post in English, he wrote: “TODAY WE WILL HIT THEM WITH A FORCE THAT THEY HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED BEFORE.”
YESTERDAY IRAN FIRED MISSILES AT THE UNITED STATES AND ISRAEL, AND THEY DID HURT. TODAY WE WILL HIT THEM WITH A FORCE THAT THEY HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED BEFORE.
— Ali Larijani | علی لاریجانی (@alilarijani_ir) March 1, 2026
Energy markets and global trade routes remain on edge as the conflict escalates.
