UAE Air Defense Destroys Six Drones in 48 Hours

The United Arab Emirates said Tuesday that its air defense detected and destroyed six hostile drones over the past 48 hours. The country’s Ministry of Defense said its military wiped out the drones “with the highest levels of readiness and efficiency” and reported no casualties or damage to civilian or strategic facilities.

“The Ministry of Defense affirms that the United Arab Emirates reserves its full right to take all necessary measures to protect its sovereignty and national security, in accordance with international laws and covenants,” the ministry wrote on X.

The ministry said the drones originated from Iraqi territory, but did not place blame on any particular nation for launching them. U.S. bases and other sites across the Gulf region since the Iran war began in late February.

The UAE reported earlier this week that unidentified drones struck a generator near its Barakah nuclear power plant on Sunday, sparking a small fire but causing no casualties. The Barakah plant supplies at least a quarter of the UAE’s electricity and is the first nuclear power station in the Arabian Peninsula. The plant is near the UAE’s border with Saudi Arabia and sits 140 miles from Abu Dhabi.