Iran claims drone strikes on US forces at UAE airbase

In a post on X, the Iranian Consulate General shared a video claiming that Iranian Army drones targeted the Al-Manhad base in the UAE. PIC/X Screengrab

The Iranian Army on Monday claimed that it carried out drone strikes targeting helicopter and troop positions at the Al Minhad airbase in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), news agency ANI reported.

According to a statement issued by the Iranian Army, the operation was launched "from early Monday morning, in response to the recent aggression by the aggressor enemy and in retaliation for the martyrdom of the brave personnel of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps and innocent Iranian compatriots on Larak Island, the Islamic Republic of Iran's Army targeted the locations of the helicopters and forces of the child-killing US military at the Al Minhad base in the UAE by launching dozens of attack drones."

Iranian semi-official Tasnim News Agency reported that the Al Minhad facility serves as a vital logistics hub for supporting and transporting foreign forces. The Iranian Army further stated that it was prepared to guarantee national security until regional threats are neutralised, warning that it will "avenge the blood of all the martyrs of the imposed war from the American terrorist forces."

The development follows earlier retaliatory declarations by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) regarding US military positions across the region.

In response, the UAE Ministry of Defence said its national air defence units intercepted an unmanned aerial vehicle over territorial waters that was moving from the direction of Iran.

"The Ministry affirmed that the Armed Forces remain on a high state of readiness to address any potential threats, while air defence systems continue to monitor and safeguard the country's airspace around the clock. The Ministry also urged the public to rely exclusively on official sources for information and to refrain from circulating rumours or inaccurate information," the UAE Ministry of Defence posted on X.

IRGC targets US bases in Jordan after Larak Island strike

Earlier on Monday, the IRGC announced missile and drone strikes targeting the US King Hussein and Al-Azraq airbases in Jordan, describing the action as retaliation for the earlier strike on Larak Island.

Tasnim News Agency reported that the IRGC targeted maintenance infrastructure and fighter-jet facilities at the Jordanian installations.

Larak Island is located off the coast of Bandar Abbas, near Qeshm and Hormuz islands in Hormozgan province. The military escalation followed US forces striking two Iranian missile launchers on the island on Sunday local time.

US Central Command spokesperson Tim Hawkins stated that "Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces were observed preparing to launch rockets with sea mines into the Strait of Hormuz," adding that the operations aim to safeguard commercial transit through the waterway, as reported by CBS News.

The IRGC reported multiple casualties among military personnel and civilians following Sunday night's operation on Larak Island, which it attributed to US and Israeli action.

(With ANI inputs)