United Arab Emirates closes its airspace due to a new wave of Iranian attacks

The General Civil Aviation Authority of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced this Tuesday the temporary and total closure of the country’s airspace, following a new wave of attacks with Iranian drones and missiles.

According to the statement, this is “an exceptional precautionary measure” to ensure the safety of flights and safeguard the territory of the UAE. The General Civil Aviation Authority stated that the decision was made after a comprehensive assessment of operational and safety risks, and in full coordination with relevant national and international authorities. Coinciding with this announcement, the UAE Ministry of Defense reported that air defenses are responding to missile and drone threats coming from Iran.

We recommend reading:More than 200 dead and 400 injured in the attack on a Kabul hospital, according to the Taliban

Drone incident with no casualties

The decision to close the airspace comes hours after flights to and from Dubai International Airport began to gradually resume following the temporary suspension applied early Monday morning. The suspension at that airport occurred after an incident with a drone that caused a fire in the vicinity of the facility, although without causing any casualties. The joint attack by the United States and Israel on Iran on February 28th initiated a war that is having significant consequences for the countries of the Persian Gulf, the target of Iranian attacks against US bases and interests in the region. Therefore, flights to or from the UAE have been subject to suspensions since the beginning of the conflict.