‘In a time of war’: UAE President says country ‘not easy prey’ as Iran missile attacks escalate

Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has declared that the United Arab Emirates is “in a time of war” but remains resilient and determined to defend itself, in his first public comments since Iran launched waves of missiles toward Gulf countries amid the ongoing US–Israeli bombing campaign against the Islamic Republic.  

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“The UAE has thick skin and bitter flesh – we are no easy prey,” the Emirati leader said while visiting people injured in recent strikes, according to remarks broadcast on Abu Dhabi TV.  

“We will carry out our duty toward our country, our people, and our residents who are also part of our family,” he added, stressing that the country would protect everyone living in the federation.  

The UAE — a federation of seven emirates including Dubai and Abu Dhabi — has been drawn into the widening regional conflict after Iran launched retaliatory missile and drone attacks across Gulf states that host US military assets.  

According to UAE defence officials, around 196 Iranian ballistic missiles have been fired toward the UAE since the US–Israeli strikes on Iran began, with most intercepted by air-defence systems. Authorities say 181 were destroyed, 13 fell into the sea and two landed inside the country, while additional cruise missiles were also intercepted. The country has also detected more than 1,000 drones launched in the same period, the vast majority of which were shot down. (The Straits Times)  

Despite the high interception rate, debris from destroyed missiles and drones has caused casualties and damage to civilian areas in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, with several residents killed or injured in earlier waves of attacks.  

Calls for de-escalation  

An Emirati official said the Gulf state wants the Iranian attacks on neighbouring countries to stop immediately, warning that escalation risks expanding the conflict across the region.  

“Any sort of escalation is worrying. We want to contain the war. We don’t want the war to expand,” the official told Reuters.  

The official added that Iran must realise it is harming its own position by attacking its neighbours.  

“We want to start with the Iranians realizing that they are not helping themselves by attacking their whole neighbourhood and to stop there.”  

Gulf caught in widening war  

Iran’s attacks on Gulf states are widely seen as retaliation for the joint US–Israeli military campaign targeting Iranian military and nuclear facilities. The strikes have pushed the region into its most serious security crisis in years, with missile defence systems across the Gulf activated and civilian airspace periodically disrupted.  

The UAE, which hosts US forces at bases such as Al Dhafra, has become one of the key front lines of the confrontation, even as its leadership continues to stress that the country does not want a broader regional war.