The UAE said it intercepted 15 ballistic missiles and 119 drones amid the escalating West Asia conflict, briefly disrupting flight operations at Dubai International Airport. Authorities later confirmed that airport operations resumed after a short suspension
Smoke rises from Dubai International Airport on Saturday. PIC/AFP
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) said on Saturday that it intercepted 15 ballistic missiles and 119 drones as Iran continued its attacks on the Gulf nation.
"UAE air defence systems detected today, Saturday 7th March 2026, 16 ballistic missiles, of which 15 were intercepted and destroyed, while one ballistic missile fell into the sea," the ministry of defence said in a post on X.
UAE air defences intercept 15 ballistic missiles, 119 UAVs
— وزارة الدفاع |MOD UAE (@modgovae) March 7, 2026
UAE air defence systems detected today, Saturday 7th March 2026, 16 ballistic missiles, of which, 15 were intercepted and destroyed, while one ballistic missile fell into the sea.
Air defence systems also detected 121… pic.twitter.com/Ylt57exFcl
According to reports, explosions were heard near the airport. While it was earlier believed that the airport was hit by an Iranian drone, the UAE confirmed that it intercepted the drones and missiles.
"Air defence systems also detected 121 UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles), of which 119 were intercepted, while two fell within the territory of the UAE."
Emirates resumes flight operations after temporary suspension at Dubai airport
Emirates has resumed flight operations after temporarily suspending services to and from Dubai International Airport due to safety concerns, the airline said on Saturday in an update on social media.
Flights in and out of Dubai International Airport were briefly interrupted after passengers were ushered into train tunnels as several blasts were heard and an alert was sounded.
In a post shared on the platform X, the airline said passengers with confirmed bookings for flights scheduled later in the day can now proceed to the airport.
The airline added that the advisory also applies to travellers transiting through Dubai, provided their connecting flights are operating as scheduled.
“Our post from 11:08am Dubai time regarding operational status is no longer current, and has been deleted to avoid causing unnecessary confusion,” it said.
“Passengers who have confirmed bookings for this afternoon’s flights may proceed to the airport. This includes customers transiting in Dubai if their connecting flight is also operating,” the airline added.
Emirates advised passengers to check the status of their flights and seat availability through its official channels before heading to the airport to ensure that services are operating as scheduled.
The airline said it is closely monitoring the situation and will adjust its operational schedule if required.
“Emirates continues to monitor the situation, and we will develop our operational schedule accordingly,” the airline stated.
“We would like to thank our customers for their understanding and patience. The safety of our passengers and crew is our highest priority and will not be compromised,” it added.
Earlier in the day, the airline had said it was temporarily suspending all flights to and from Dubai until further notice, advising passengers not to travel to the airport while operations remained halted.
In that earlier post, the airline said it would provide further updates once more information became available, stressing that passenger and crew safety remained its top priority.
However, the post was later deleted as it was causing confusion among travellers, the airline said.
(With AFP and PTI inputs)
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