UAE issues missile threat alert, lifts warning shortly after as regional tensions persist

UAE residents received a phone alert from the interior ministry warning of a "potential missile threat" on Friday, which was lifted shortly after -- the first such warning in more than a month.

"Due to the current situation, potential missile threats, immediately seek a safe place," the interior ministry said in a phone notification, before sending another alert stating that "the situation is currently safe. You may resume your normal activities".

The mobile phone alert startled many across Dubai, the first since the United States and Iran last week reached an interim ceasefire in the war.

Iran is suspected of launching a drone attack against a tanker off the coast of Oman on Thursday as Tehran increasingly challenges the region and the U.S. over its control of the strait, even with the current interim deal in the Iran war.

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The brief text alert that was sent from the UAE’s Interior Ministry on Friday afternoon was also the first of its kind during the Iran war, and seemed to have been an accidental alert that went out to the public. It wasn’t immediately clear what sparked the warning.

A short time after the alert, the Emiratis said there was a telephone call between Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. It quoted Sheikh Abdullah as telling Araghchi that the UAE “emphasized the importance of full commitment” to the interim deal between Iran and the U.S.

“Serious diplomacy and responsible dialogue are the optimal path for addressing all regional and international crises,” it said.

The U.S. and Iran are still negotiating terms of the interim peace deal, including issues such as getting ships through the key strait and addressing the future of Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium. Under the interim deal, the two sides have 60 days to work out the details.

With inputs from agencies