Iran Renews Claim U.S. Used UAE for Kharg Strikes as UAE, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia Report New Missile and Drone Attacks
Iran’s foreign minister reiterated Tehran’s claim that U.S. strikes on Kharg and Abu Musa were launched from two locations in the UAE—Ras al‑Khaimah and an area near Dubai—while U.S. Central Command said its strikes destroyed naval mine and missile storage facilities but would not comment on the allegation of UAE‑based launches. The assertion came as Iran urged evacuations around Jebel Ali, Khalifa and Fujairah ports and its military threatened U.S.-linked energy targets, and as the UAE, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia reported new attacks—UAE authorities reported a missile strike, Bahrain sounded incoming‑attack sirens, and Saudi air defenses said they intercepted 10 drones—prompting regional officials to criticize Tehran’s accusations.
📌 Key Facts
- Iran publicly urged people to evacuate areas around Jebel Ali port (Dubai), Khalifa port (Abu Dhabi) and the port of Fujairah — its first open threat against a neighbor’s non‑U.S. assets in this war; debris from an intercepted Iranian drone struck an oil facility at Fujairah and started a fire, though there were no immediate reports of direct strikes on Jebel Ali or Khalifa.
- Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told MS NOW the U.S. attacked Kharg Island and Abu Musa Island from two locations in the UAE (Ras Al‑Khaimah and an area near Dubai), calling the alleged use of UAE territory dangerous and saying Iran would try to avoid populated areas.
- U.S. Central Command said its strikes on Kharg destroyed naval mine storage facilities, missile storage bunkers and other military sites, and declined to comment on Iran’s claim that launches came from UAE territory.
- President Trump said the U.S. had “obliterated” military sites on Kharg Island, warned Iranian oil infrastructure could be targeted next if Tehran continues interfering with shipping, and urged allies to send warships to help keep the Strait of Hormuz open.
- Iran’s joint military command reiterated threats to strike U.S.‑linked oil, economic and energy infrastructure if Iran’s oil infrastructure is attacked; state‑affiliated Fars news agency said Kharg Island’s oil facilities were undamaged and listed the Iranian sites hit.
- Gulf countries reported new incoming attacks: the UAE reported a missile attack Sunday morning and urged residents to remain in safe locations; Bahrain reported sirens warning of an assault; and Saudi Arabia said air defenses intercepted and destroyed 10 drones over Riyadh and the eastern region.
- UAE presidential adviser Anwar Gargash publicly criticized Araghchi’s accusation that the U.S. used UAE bases to attack Kharg, calling Tehran’s policy “confused,” directionless and unwise.
- Iran’s joint command asserted that so‑called “LUCAS” drones, modeled on Iran’s Shahed‑136, are being used to hit targets in Turkey, Iraq and Kuwait to falsely attribute strikes to Tehran; the command said Iran publicly declares its targets (which it described as U.S. and Israeli interests) and appealed for “trust and cooperation” from neighboring states.
📊 Relevant Data
According to a March 2026 PBS News/NPR/Marist poll, 86% of Democrats oppose U.S. military action in Iran, compared to only 15% of Republicans, highlighting a stark partisan divide in public opinion on the war.
Majority of Americans oppose military action in Iran, new poll finds — PBS
In 2025, food insecurity rates remained high for Black (24.4 percent) and Latinx (20.2 percent) households in the U.S., more than double the rate for White households in some cases, with inflation and global shocks like wars contributing to elevated food prices.
USDA Food Security Report Reveals 47.9 Million Americans Facing Food Insecurity — Food Research & Action Center (FRAC)
As of December 2024, Black service members comprise 21.4% of active-duty U.S. Army personnel, overrepresenting their share of the general U.S. population (approximately 13.6% as of 2023), which may relate to socioeconomic recruitment patterns.
How many people are in the US military? A demographic overview — USA Facts
📰 Source Timeline (3)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- Bahrain reported sirens sounding ahead of an assault on Sunday, indicating a new incoming attack in the wake of Iran’s warnings about UAE ports.
- The United Arab Emirates reported a missile attack Sunday morning, with authorities urging residents to remain in safe locations.
- Saudi Arabia’s Defense Ministry said its air defenses intercepted and destroyed 10 drones over Riyadh and the country’s eastern region, adding a new front in the wave of Iran-linked drone activity.
- UAE presidential adviser Anwar Gargash publicly criticized Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi’s comments accusing the U.S. of using UAE bases to attack Kharg, labeling Tehran’s policy "confused," directionless and unwise.
- Iran’s joint military command asserted, again without presenting evidence, that 'LUCAS' drones modeled on Iran’s Shahed‑136 were being used to hit targets in Turkey, Iraq and Kuwait in an attempt to blame Tehran for strikes it says are not its own.
- The joint command insisted that Iran publicly declares its targets, which it described as U.S. and Israeli interests, and appealed for 'trust and cooperation' from neighboring states.
- Iran publicly urged people to evacuate areas around Jebel Ali port in Dubai, Khalifa port in Abu Dhabi and the port of Fujairah, marking its first open threat against a neighbor’s non‑U.S. assets in this war.
- Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi told MS NOW that the U.S. attacked Kharg Island and Abu Musa Island from two locations in the UAE (Ras Al‑Khaimah and an area “very close to Dubai”), calling this dangerous and saying Iran would try to avoid populated areas.
- Debris from an intercepted Iranian drone struck an oil facility at Fujairah, starting a fire, though there were no immediate reports of direct strikes on Jebel Ali or Khalifa ports.
- Iran’s joint military command reiterated its threat to strike U.S.-linked “oil, economic and energy infrastructures” in the region if Iran’s own oil infrastructure is attacked, while Fars said Kharg Island’s oil facilities were undamaged and listed the Iranian sites hit.
- U.S. Central Command reiterated that its Kharg strikes destroyed naval mine storage facilities, missile storage bunkers and other military sites, and had no comment on Iran’s claim that launches came from UAE territory.
- President Trump repeated that the U.S. had “obliterated” military sites on Kharg Island and warned that Iranian oil infrastructure could be targeted next if Tehran continues interfering with shipping, while publicly urging allies (China, France, Japan, South Korea, the U.K. and others) to send warships to keep the Strait of Hormuz open.