The United Arab Emirates (UAE) said it came under missile and drone attacks it said were coming from Iran for a second consecutive day.
”The UAE’s air defenses are currently dealing with missile and drone attacks originating from Iran,” The UAE’s Defense Ministry said in a post on X on Tuesday. “The Ministry of Defense confirms that the sounds heard in scattered areas of the country are the result of the UAE’s air defense systems intercepting ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones.”
تتعامل حالياً الدفاعات الجوية الإماراتية مع اعتداءات صاروخية وطائرات مسيرة قادمة من ايران وتؤكد وزارة الدفاع أن الاصوات المسموعة في مناطق متفرقة من الدولة هي نتيجة تعامل منظومات الدفاعات الجوية الإماراتية للصواريخ الباليستية، والجوالة والطائرات المسيرة.
UAE Air Defences system… pic.twitter.com/CVJeI7MMcA
— وزارة الدفاع |MOD UAE (@modgovae) May 5, 2026
The outcome of the most recent attack was not immediately clear. The latest strike came a day after suspected Iranian attacks ignited a fire at a key oil facility in the eastern emirate of Fujairah and injured at least three people.
In response to recent attacks, the UAE restricted flights to a limited number of approved routes and activated emergency security protocols, according to notices issued by its General Civil Aviation Authority.
The measures, in place until at least May 11, partially closed the country’s flight information region and allowed flights only through specific entry and exit points.
Meanwhile, Iran denied targeting the UAE. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said its forces “have not carried out any missile or drone operations against the UAE in recent days.”
“If any action had been taken, we would have announced it firmly and clearly. Therefore, the report of that country’s Ministry of Defense is absolutely denied and is devoid of any truth,” the IRGC said in a statement carried by the Fars news agency.
“No military action has been taken against the UAE in recent days, and the UAE Defense Ministry’s statement is false,” Iran’s Central Military Headquarters said in a statement cited by state-run news outlet Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting.
🚨 BREAKING
Iran’s Central Military Headquarters: No military action has been taken against the UAE in recent days, and the UAE Defense Ministry’s statement is false.— IRIB (Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting) (@iribnews_irib) May 5, 2026
The developments follow weeks of heightened conflict in the Strait of Hormuz, where Iranian forces have repeatedly attacked commercial ships passing through the key waterway, disrupting sea traffic.
The escalation prompted the U.S. to launch “Project Freedom,” a military-led effort to restore the flow of commercial shipping through the strait. On Monday, U.S. forces fired on several Iranian boats and repelled missile and drone attacks targeting commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz as part of the operation.
President Donald Trump announced in a Truth Social post on Tuesday that he had paused “Project Freedom” to allow time for negotiations with Iran following a request from Pakistan and other countries.
He said the U.S. blockade targeting vessels entering and departing Iranian ports in the strait would remain in place. As of Tuesday, 51 vessels entering or leaving Iranian ports have been directed to turn around or return to port, according to the U.S. Central Command.
A U.S. Sailor standing watch aboard guided-missile destroyer USS Michael Murphy (DDG 112) observes flight operations in the Arabian Sea as 🇺🇸 American forces enforce the naval blockade. As of today, 51 vessels have been directed to turn around or return to port in order to stop… pic.twitter.com/eKh5h1Qdio
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) May 5, 2026
War Secretary Pete Hegseth said Tuesday that the ceasefire with Iran remained in place, even as U.S. and Iranian forces exchanged fire in the Gulf amid competition for control of the Strait of Hormuz.
“We said we would defend and defend aggressively, and we absolutely have. Iran knows that, and ultimately, the president can make a decision whether anything were to escalate into a violation of a ceasefire,” Hegseth said.
General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said that since the ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran was announced on April 7, Iran had fired on commercial vessels nine times and seized two container ships. He also said Iran had attacked U.S. forces more than 10 times.
However, he added that the incidents remained “below the threshold of restarting major combat operations at this point.”
