At least 141 people, including a Nigerian national, were injured after Iran launched multiple missile and drone attacks toward the United Arab Emirates amid escalating tensions in the Middle East.
Six people were also confirmed dead in the attacks, according to the United Arab Emirates Ministry of Defence, which said its air defence systems intercepted several aerial threats aimed at the country.
In a statement released on its official platform on March 14, the ministry disclosed that UAE defence forces successfully engaged nine ballistic missiles and 33 unmanned aerial vehicles launched from Iran.
The ministry described the incident as part of a broader pattern of hostilities linked to what it called “blatant Iranian aggression,” adding that its forces have repeatedly activated air defence systems to counter incoming threats.
Providing further details, the ministry said that since the beginning of the current wave of attacks, UAE air defences have intercepted 294 ballistic missiles, 15 cruise missiles and about 1,600 drones launched from Iran.
Authorities confirmed that the casualties included residents and workers from multiple countries living in the UAE. Those affected include nationals of the UAE as well as citizens from Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, the Philippines, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Azerbaijan, Yemen, Uganda, Eritrea, Lebanon, Afghanistan, Bahrain, Comoros, Türkiye, Iraq, Nepal, Nigeria, Oman, Jordan, Palestine, Ghana, Indonesia and Sweden.
According to the defence ministry, the six fatalities involved nationals of the UAE, Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh, while the 141 injured victims sustained minor to moderate wounds. Officials, however, did not specify the exact locations where the deaths and injuries occurred.
“The Ministry of Defence affirms that it remains fully prepared to deal with any threats and will firmly confront attempts to undermine the country’s security in order to protect its sovereignty, stability and national interests,” the statement said.
Meanwhile, the government of Qatar has filed a formal complaint with the United Nations and the United Nations Security Council over what it described as repeated military aggression by Iran against its territory.
In a statement, Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the complaint was submitted by the country’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Sheikha Alya Ahmed bin Saif Al-Thani, through a letter addressed to UN Secretary-General António Guterres and the President of the Security Council for March, Michael Waltz.
The Qatari government said the letter aimed to alert the international community to the security risks posed by the escalating conflict.
In a related development, the United States Embassy in Baghdad was struck by a missile that landed within its compound in the heavily fortified Green Zone in Baghdad, Iraq.
Security officials said the projectile hit a helipad within the embassy complex, damaging part of the facility’s air defence system and causing smoke to rise from the area.
Following the attack, the embassy issued an urgent security alert urging American citizens to leave Iraq immediately due to the growing threat posed by Iran-aligned armed groups.
The warning comes as the administration of Donald Trump announced that several countries would deploy warships alongside the United States to ensure that the Strait of Hormuz — a critical global oil shipping route — remains open amid fears that Iran could attempt to restrict access to the strategic waterway.
“Many countries, especially those affected by Iran’s attempted closure of the Hormuz Strait, will be sending warships in conjunction with the United States to keep the strait open and safe,” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform.
