Blasts heard in Dubai, Abu Dhabi for a third day
Loud blasts were heard for a third day in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. CNBC’s team in the United Arab Emirates said the explosions occurred shortly after 9 a.m local time.
The UAE’s Ministry of Defence said in a post on X that the country’s air force and air defence units had intercepted “165 ballistic missiles, two cruise missiles and 541 Iranian drones since the start of the Iranian attack.”
Among the locations targeted were Dubai’s iconic Burj Al Arab hotel, the Fairmont Hotel on the Palm, Jebel Ali Port, Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Towers and the international airports in the two emirates.
— Emma Graham
Iran security chief Ali Larijani rejects U.S. talks, blames Trump for chaos
Iran’s security chief Ali Larijani attends a ceremony by the Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah marking the first anniversary of Israel’s assassination of their longtime leader Hassan Nasrallah, in Beirut’s southern suburbs on September 27, 2025.
Anwar Amro | Afp | Getty Images
Iran’s security chief Ali Larijani said that Tehran has no plans to engage in negotiations with the United States.
“We will not negotiate with the United States,” the former adviser to the late supreme leader said in a post on X, dismissing reports that it is seeking to restart negotiations with Washington.
“Trump has plunged the region into chaos with his ‘false hopes’ and is now worried about further casualties of American troops,” he wrote in an earlier post.
— Lee Ying Shan
Kuwait reports drone interceptions as Iran continues retalitory strikes
An Iran-made unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the Shahed-136, is displayed in a rally commemorating the 47th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution’s victory in Azadi (Freedom) Square in western Tehran, Iran, on February 11, 2026.
Nurphoto | Nurphoto | Getty Images
Kuwait’s Director General of Civil Defense said Monday that the country’s Air Defense forces had successfully intercepted a majority of hostile Iranian drones approaching its borders through maritime routes.
The Kuwaiti official also confirmed that no injuries were reported from the interception operations, according to a report by state-backed media.
According to the Gulf Cooperation Council, Iran unleashed waves of drones and missiles on several Arab nations, including Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Qatar, over the weekend.
Since then, countries like Bahrain and the UAE have reported successful interceptions of hundreds of Iranian drones.
According to Bahrian officials, the attacks have included Iran’s Shahed-136 type drones, a cheap, locally made drone that can act like a guided missiles that travel to a predetermined target.
— Dylan Butts
UAE recalls ambassador, closes Tehran embassy after missile strikes
The United Arab Emirates recalled its ambassador from Iran Monday and shuttered its embassy in Tehran in response to missile strikes over the weekend that it said targeted civilian infrastructure, including Jebel Ali Port and airports in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs also summoned the Iranian Ambassador and delivered a note of protest over what it described as “terrorist attacks.”
Abu Dhabi downgraded ties with Tehran in 2016 after attacks on Saudi diplomatic missions in Iran. Relations deteriorated further after the UAE joined the Abraham Accords in 2020.
In recent years, however, ties had begun to improve. The UAE’s national security advisor, Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed al Nahyan, visited Tehran in 2021, in a rare move aimed at warming ties.
About half a million Iranians are estimated to live in the Emirates, many of them in Dubai. The Emirate is home to an Iranian hospital, at least one Shiite mosque in Jumeirah and numerous businesses selling Iranian goods. Despite periodic diplomatic strains, the two countries have maintained significant trading ties. Iran and the UAE are also at odds over three contested islands in the Persian Gulf.
Saudi Arabia, which recently restored diplomatic relations with Iran in 2023 under a deal brokered by China, also condemned the attacks on the Gulf States and summoned its ambassador from Tehran.
— Emma Graham
U.S. and Gulf nations issue joint warning to Iran, vowing ‘self- defense’
A group of Middle Eastern countries and the U.S. issued a joint statement Sunday night stateside, condemning Iran’s missile and drone attacks and affirming their right to self-defense.
“The Islamic Republic’s actions represent a dangerous escalation that violates the sovereignty of multiple states and threatens regional stability. The targeting of civilians and of countries not engaged in hostilities is reckless and destabilizing behavior,” according to the statement.
“We stand united in defense of our citizens, sovereignty, and territory, and reaffirm our…
Read More: U.S.-Iran news today: Live updates