ABU DHABI: A senior United Arab Emirates official on Wednesday rejected Tehran’s assertion that its recent missile and drone strikes in the Gulf are aimed at US military bases, saying the Iranian attacks targeted civilian infrastructure.
“The Iranian aggression lies when it claims to target American military bases in the Gulf; the number of missiles and drones fired reveals a different reality,” UAE presidential advisor Anwar Gargash wrote in a post on X.
“The attacks target civilian infrastructure and vital facilities with no regard for civilians and innocent people. We thank God for the effectiveness of our national capabilities in repelling these brutal attacks,” Gargash added.
يكذب العدوان الإيراني حين يدّعي استهداف القواعد العسكرية الأميركية في الخليج؛ فأرقام الصواريخ والمسيّرات تكشف حقيقة مختلفة. فالهجمات تطال البنى التحتية المدنية والمنشآت الحيوية دون اعتبار للمدنيين والأبرياء. نحمد الله على كفاءة قدراتنا الوطنية في صد هذه الهجمات الغاشمة.
— د. أنور قرقاش (@AnwarGargash) March 11, 2026
Tensions in the Gulf region have escalated following coordinated strikes by the United States and Israel on Iran on February 28.
The attacks have further reduced hopes for a diplomatic resolution to Tehran’s long-running dispute with Western countries and Israel over its nuclear programme.
In response, Iran announced it was targeting American military bases in several Gulf states.
These strikes were strongly condemned by the affected countries, which reported that some attacks damaged civilian infrastructure.
Since the start of Iran’s attacks, the UAE has faced assaults involving 262 ballistic missiles and around 1,500 drones, most of which were successfully intercepted by its defence systems.
The strikes have claimed six lives, including mostly civilians and two Emirati soldiers who died in a helicopter accident.
Last weekend, in an interview with Abu Dhabi TV, President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed expressed confidence that the country would emerge “stronger” from the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
