Iran threatens UAE will "pay the price" after explosions rock Qeshm island

Friday 08 May 2026 - 08:37

By: Dakir Madiha

Iran threatens UAE will "pay the price" after explosions rock Qeshm island

Explosions struck the Iranian island of Qeshm and the port city of Bandar Abbas overnight on Thursday, prompting state-aligned Iranian media to accuse the United Arab Emirates of conducting a hostile act and to warn that Abu Dhabi would face consequences if its involvement were confirmed. The incident added a volatile new dimension to an already fragile ceasefire between the United States and Iran, with conflicting accounts of responsibility deepening tensions across the Persian Gulf region.

The semi-official Iranian news agency Tasnim, affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, reported signs of a hostile action by the UAE after explosions were heard near the Bahman pier on Qeshm island and across several parts of Hormozgan province. The agency warned that if Abu Dhabi is found responsible, it will pay the price. Some Iranian media outlets framed the incident as an act of aggression by the UAE acting as a tool of the Zionist regime. Tasnim also cited anonymous sources claiming the explosions were linked to a confrontation involving two small aircraft. Iran's joint military high command separately accused the United States of violating the ceasefire by targeting Iranian oil tankers near the Strait of Hormuz and conducting airstrikes against civilian areas along Iran's southern coast with the cooperation of certain regional countries.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian publicly denied that Iranian forces had carried out attacks against the UAE in recent days, a statement that highlights deepening internal tensions between his administration and the Revolutionary Guards over the conduct of the conflict. According to Iran International, Pezeshkian was kept out of the decision to strike the UAE with missiles and drones earlier in the conflict and subsequently confronted IRGC leadership, reportedly describing those strikes as madness. The UAE had not issued an official public response to the Iranian accusations regarding the Qeshm explosions as of Thursday evening. The Pentagon had previously indicated it considered the general ceasefire still in force, with a senior general describing recent incidents as falling below the threshold warranting a major military response.

The exchange of accusations unfolds against the backdrop of a ceasefire between the United States and Iran that has shown persistent signs of strain. Iran had previously launched four waves of attacks against the UAE on May 4, including a drone strike on Fujairah, and the UAE has continued intercepting drones and missiles in recent days. At the United Nations, a Security Council draft resolution on the situation in the Strait of Hormuz was adopted on Wednesday, with the American ambassador appearing alongside Gulf state envoys. The explosive rhetoric and contradictory claims over who struck first have laid bare the fragility of the ceasefire and the risk of renewed escalation across the wider Gulf, where any miscalculation by any of the parties involved could rapidly unravel whatever diplomatic progress has been achieved.