Iran’s drone targets U.S. Gulf allies, its safe-haven image shattered; Dubai hotels and airports were attacked

Dubai: The sailboat-shaped Burj Al Arab, located on Dubai’s Gulf Coast, has long embodied the city’s opulence and ambition. Now, as Iran fires up missiles, it has become a symbol of the crisis engulfing the region.Hundreds of drones and missiles targeted the UAE, the capital Abu Dhabi, and other U.S. Gulf allies – Oman, Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrain – on Saturday and Sunday, alarming residents who have long sought refuge from regional conflicts. The blast rattled windows in Dubai apartment buildings and damaged the busy international airport, injuring four people.The UAE Ministry of Defense said that more than 200 drones and 137 ballistic missiles were targeting the UAE. Most of these projectiles were intercepted, but 14 drones fell into UAE territory and waters. Debris from intercepted missiles and drones rained down across the city, causing further destruction and damageForeign workers in the Gulf appear to be most affectedThis is indeed a difficult and serious moment,” said Cinzia Bianco, a visiting fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations who focuses on Gulf issues. “Nothing is more important than a sense of security…”Dubai has developed close ties with Iran, in part to maintain its safe haven status. The UAE is one of Iran’s largest trading partners. But no Gulf state is immune. Even Oman – where officials conduct negotiations between Iran and the United States – has come under attack. A drone struck a house in the Arabian Sea port of Duqm, injuring a foreign worker, the state news agency reported.Expatriate workers, who make up a large proportion of the Gulf state’s population, appear to be among the worst-affected groups. A drone struck a Kuwait airport, injuring nine workers, Kuwait’s state news agency reported. In Abu Dhabi, debris from an intercepted drone fell on the international airport, killing an “Asian citizen” and injuring seven others, airport authorities said. Debris from a downed drone also hit the facade of the Etihad Towers, the complex that houses the Israeli embassy in Abu Dhabi.Qatar’s interior ministry said at least 16 people were injured in the country. Qatar’s Defense Ministry said on Sunday that it had intercepted 18 ballistic missiles launched across the country. In Bahrain, the government said it had shot down 45 missiles and nine drones.