UAE briefly closes airspace as Iran Israel strikes escalate across region

Tuesday 17 March 2026 - 14:20

By: Dakir Madiha

UAE briefly closes airspace as Iran Israel strikes escalate across region

The United Arab Emirates briefly shut its airspace on Tuesday as missile and drone exchanges between Iran and Israel intensified, with explosions reported in several Gulf cities and new strikes launched across multiple fronts.

Residents in Dubai and Doha reported hearing blasts as air defense systems intercepted incoming projectiles. UAE authorities confirmed the temporary closure of airspace while responding to missile and drone threats originating from Iran. The restriction was later lifted, though interceptions continued.

Iran targeted an oil facility in Fujairah, a strategic energy hub on the Gulf of Oman, where a tanker also sustained minor structural damage. No casualties were reported. Saudi Arabia said it intercepted about a dozen drones over its eastern region, while Qatar confirmed it thwarted a missile strike on Doha, although debris caused a fire in an industrial zone. In Iraq, air defenses near the US embassy in Baghdad intercepted four drones, with falling fragments causing damage.

Israel expanded its military operations, launching what it described as large scale strikes on Tehran and Hezbollah targets in Beirut. The Israeli military said it hit more than 200 sites across western and central Iran within 24 hours, including command centers, missile systems and air defenses linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Iran responded with multiple ballistic missile launches toward Tel Aviv and other areas before dawn, while Hezbollah fired rockets into northern Israel. Casualty figures continue to rise, with more than 1,300 deaths reported in Iran, about 850 in Lebanon and at least 12 in Israel. US forces have also reported fatalities.

The conflict has disrupted global energy markets. Iran’s effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a route for roughly one fifth of global oil flows, has pushed Brent crude above $100 per barrel, up more than 40 percent since the war began.

US President Donald Trump called on several countries to deploy naval forces to secure the passage, but key allies have shown reluctance to become directly involved. European governments have signaled caution, while Japan and Australia said they had not been asked to participate and had no plans to do so.

Iranian officials maintain that the strait remains open, but not to vessels linked to the United States, Israel and their allies.