Iran claims drone strikes targeted US forces at a UAE airbase after American attacks on Larak Island, while Abu Dhabi says its air defences remain ready, reports Asian Lite News Desk
Iran’s Army on Monday claimed it had carried out drone strikes targeting helicopters and US forces at Al Minhad airbase in the UAE, escalating regional tensions.
The Iranian Army said the strikes were launched in retaliation for US attacks on Larak Island in the Strait of Hormuz, where Iranian military personnel and civilians were reportedly killed or wounded.
In a statement reported by Iran’s semi-official Tasnim News Agency, the Army said it had launched “dozens of attack drones” against locations housing US helicopters and forces at Al Minhad.
Iran described the UAE base as an important centre for supporting and transporting foreign forces and said its military would continue operations until what it called the enemy threat was removed from the region.
The claim came after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced retaliatory missile and drone strikes against US military positions elsewhere in the region.
The UAE Ministry of Defence confirmed that its Air Force had responded to an unmanned aerial vehicle detected over the country’s territorial waters and approaching from Iran.
“The Ministry affirmed that the Armed Forces remain on a high state of readiness to address any potential threats,” it said in a statement published on X.
The ministry added that UAE air defence systems were continuing to monitor and protect the country’s airspace around the clock, while urging the public to rely on official sources and avoid spreading rumours or inaccurate information.
Earlier, the IRGC claimed it had conducted a missile and drone operation against the US King Hussein and Al-Azraq air bases in Jordan. It said the attacks targeted technical and maintenance infrastructure and fighter-jet facilities.
The developments followed US strikes on two Iranian launchers on Larak Island on Sunday.
US Central Command spokesperson Tim Hawkins said Iranian Revolutionary Guard forces had been observed preparing to launch rockets with sea mines into the Strait of Hormuz. He said the US military was monitoring the area and remained prepared to protect the free flow of commerce through the strategic waterway.
Larak Island is located off the coast of Bandar Abbas, east of Qeshm Island and south of Hormuz Island.
Iran’s IRGC said several military personnel and civilians were killed or wounded in what it described as a “US-Israeli” attack on the island.
The latest claims could further raise tensions involving Iran, the US and Gulf states, with the UAE stressing that its armed forces remain on high alert.
