Iran has fired hundreds of ballistic missiles and drones at the United Arab Emirates since the war began on February 28, 2026 — killing six people and injuring 131 others, including at least one Nigerian citizen, in what the UAE's Ministry of Defence has described as a sustained and unprecedented assault on the Gulf nation's territory.
The UAE Ministry of Defence confirmed in a statement on Tuesday March 10, 2026 that its air defence systems have tracked a staggering 262 ballistic missiles fired by Iran since the conflict began — of which 241 were successfully intercepted and destroyed in mid-air, while 19 fell harmlessly into the sea. However, two missiles penetrated UAE defences and struck within the country's territory — killing people and injuring dozens more.
In addition to the ballistic missiles, the UAE defence ministry confirmed that Iranian forces fired a total of 1,475 drones at the country since February 28 — of which 1,385 were intercepted while 90 landed within UAE territory, causing damage to buildings, roads, and infrastructure across Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, and Ras Al-Khaimah.
The ministry's full casualty statement read: "These attacks resulted in six deaths of Emirati, Pakistani, Nepalese and Bangladeshi nationalities, and 122 cases of minor and moderate injuries of Emirati, Egyptian, Sudanese, Ethiopian, Filipino, Pakistani, Iranian, Indian, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan, Azerbaijani, Yemeni, Ugandan, Eritrean, Lebanese, Afghan, Bahraini, Comorian, Turkish, Iraqi, Nepalese, Nigerian, Omani, Jordanian and Palestinian nationalities."
Nigeria was among 26 nationalities confirmed injured in the attacks — a direct reminder that the Iran war is not a distant conflict but one that is drawing in Nigerian lives.
What Has Been Targeted — Dubai, Abu Dhabi, And Beyond
The scale and spread of Iranian attacks on the UAE has been extraordinary. Across fourteen days of fighting, virtually every major emirate and landmark in the country has been threatened, struck, or narrowly missed.
In Dubai, a Shahed-type drone struck near the Fairmont The Palm Hotel on Palm Jumeirah — one of the most recognisable landmarks in the world — causing a large explosion and fire that injured four people, primarily from debris and blast effects. The explosion shattered windows in nearby buildings and disrupted the luxury district. Dubai International Airport — the world's busiest international airport — was struck by Iranian drones on multiple occasions, causing brief closures, staff evacuations to bomb shelters, and in one incident, direct damage to Terminal 3. Four airport workers were injured in a drone strike near the airport. A separate drone struck the US Consulate in Dubai, causing a fire that was quickly contained with no casualties.
In Abu Dhabi, a drone strike on the Ruwais Industrial Complex — home to the UAE's largest oil refinery, operated by Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) — caused a fire that forced ADNOC to temporarily shut down the facility. The refinery normally produces 922,000 barrels of oil per day. Its temporary shutdown was a significant economic blow not just to the UAE but to global oil markets. Debris from drone interceptions also killed one civilian and injured others in residential areas of Abu Dhabi.
A tower in the Dubai Creek Harbour area was hit by debris from a drone attack, causing a fire. The Dubai International Financial Centre Innovation Hub — one of the Gulf's most important financial technology clusters — sustained damage to its facade from an impact. Areas around Palm Jumeirah and near the iconic Burj Al Arab hotel sustained damage from fallen debris.
Why Is Iran Attacking The UAE?
Iran's sustained assault on the UAE is not random. Tehran accuses the UAE of allowing the United States to use its military bases — particularly Al Dhafra Air Base in Abu Dhabi — to launch and support strikes against Iran. Al Dhafra is one of the most important US Air Force installations in the Middle East, housing American fighter jets, surveillance aircraft, and refueling tankers that have been central to Operation Epic Fury since the war began.
Iran's position is simple: if the UAE is providing the launchpad for attacks on Iranian territory, then the UAE is a legitimate military target. The UAE, for its part, has maintained a policy of studied neutrality — neither officially condemning the US-Israeli strikes on Iran nor publicly endorsing them — while quietly allowing the US to continue using Al Dhafra. This awkward diplomatic position has failed to protect the country from Iran's wrath.
France, recognising the threat, deployed Rafale fighter jets to protect its bases at Camp de la Paix and Al Dhafra — adding another layer of Western military presence to an already heavily armed theatre. Australia closed its embassy in Abu Dhabi and its consulate in Dubai due to the security situation, and said it would send a Boeing E-7 Wedgetail EWACS aircraft and missiles to the UAE but would not deploy troops.
Nigerians Stranded Across The Gulf — Government Yet To Act Decisively
The injury of at least one Nigerian citizen in the UAE attacks has brought the human cost of the Iran war into sharp focus for Nigeria. But that confirmed injury is almost certainly the tip of the iceberg — because the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar together host hundreds of thousands of Nigerians who live, work, and transit through the Gulf region every year.
The Chairperson of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, confirmed that Nigeria is planning to evacuate its citizens stranded in the Middle East — but said the evacuation can only happen once the airspace in the region is reopened. The closure of airspace over much of the Gulf due to ongoing missile and drone threats has grounded commercial flights, trapping Nigerians in hotels, apartments, and airports across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Kuwait.
Multiple Nigerians stranded in Gulf countries have appealed directly to the Nigerian Federal Government through social media and diaspora groups, asking for emergency repatriation flights. Some Nigerian families in Dubai and Abu Dhabi reported sheltering indoors for extended periods as air raid alerts sounded and interception explosions lit up the skies above their residential areas. It remains unclear exactly how many Nigerians are currently trapped in Iran or in the Gulf countries most directly affected by the ongoing conflict.
The UAE's Extraordinary Air Defence Performance
One of the most remarkable aspects of the UAE's experience in this war has been the extraordinary performance of its air defence systems — which have successfully intercepted 241 out of 262 ballistic missiles and 1,385 out of 1,475 drones fired by Iran. That is an interception rate of over 92% for ballistic missiles and over 93% for drones.
The UAE's air defence network — built around American-supplied Patriot PAC-3 missile batteries, French MBDA Mistral systems, and indigenous short-range interceptors — has performed at the top end of its design specifications under real combat conditions. The Patriot systems in particular have demonstrated their capability against Iran's ballistic missile arsenal — though the fact that two missiles still managed to penetrate and strike UAE territory shows that no air defence system is perfect.
The UAE's performance has been watched closely by military analysts around the world as a live-fire test of Western air defence technology against a major missile power — and the results have important implications for future defence procurement and strategy, including in Nigeria, which has been reviewing its own air defence capabilities in the context of its counter-terrorism operations in the North-East.
In Pidgin: Iran Don Kill Six People, Wound 131 For UAE — Including One Nigerian
Iran don fire hundreds of missiles and drones at the United Arab Emirates since the war start on February 28, 2026 — and the damage don reach ordinary people, including at least one Nigerian citizen wey don get injured.
UAE Ministry of Defence confirm say Iran fire 262 ballistic missiles at the country. Their air defence system stop 241 of them. But two missiles land inside UAE and kill six people — Emirati, Pakistani, Nepalese and Bangladeshi nationals. Another 122 people get injured from 26 different countries — and Nigeria dey on that list.
The places wey Iran don attack for UAE include Dubai International Airport, Palm Jumeirah, Burj Al Arab area, Abu Dhabi refinery wey produce nearly one million barrels of oil per day, the US Consulate in Dubai, and many residential and commercial areas. Iran say dem dey attack UAE because America dey use UAE military bases to bomb Iran.
Plenty Nigerians dey stranded for UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar because airspace don close due to the war. The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission say government go evacuate them once the airspace open again. But for now, many Nigerians dey shelter inside their houses as explosions dey happen in the sky above them every night.
This war no dey far from Nigeria. One of our own don already get wounded for Dubai. Many more Nigerians dey at risk as the fighting continue.
Sources: UAE Ministry of Defence, PM News Nigeria, Naija News, Al Jazeera, Vanguard Nigeria, Kanyi Daily — March 10-12, 2026