A fire broke out at a major oil industry zone in the Fujairah on Monday following a drone attack originating from Iran, authorities said. Separately, the Gulf state’s military intercepted three Iranian missiles over its waters, while a fourth fell into the sea. Civil defence teams were immediately deployed to contain the blaze at the Fujairah Oil Industry Zone, according to a statement from the Fujairah Media Office.
The statement added that three Indian citizens were moderately injured in the attack and were taken to hospital.The UAE defence ministry said on X that its forces had intercepted three missiles, with a fourth crashing into the sea.
Meanwhile, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy released a map claiming an expansion of areas under Iranian control near the Strait of Hormuz. The map reportedly included the UAE ports of Fujairah Port and Khorfakkan, as well as the coastline of the Umm Al Quwain.
The drone attack disrupted a period of relative calm in the UAE that had followed a Pakistani-mediated ceasefire between Washington and Tehran, which came into effect on April 8 after more than two months of intense fighting in the Gulf region.During that period of conflict, the UAE said it had intercepted and destroyed thousands of drones and missiles.
Authorities in the UAE also issued mobile phone alerts in Dubai and Abu Dhabi on Monday, warning residents of the possibility of missile attacks.Monday’s strike was not the first time Fujairah’s energy infrastructure had been targeted. A previous drone attack on March 14 struck the Port of Fujairah, causing fires and forcing the suspension of some oil-loading operations.
Fujairah has played a critical role in the UAE’s oil exports during the conflict with Iran, as it lies at the end of the Abu Dhabi Crude Oil Pipeline, which carries crude from inland fields to the Gulf of Oman, bypassing the Strait of Hormuz.This has enabled the UAE to continue exporting oil to global markets even while the key shipping route remained under threat.