Flights at Dubai International Airport were disrupted on Monday morning after operations were temporarily suspended when a drone struck a fuel tank near the airport amid escalating tensions in West Asia.
Authorities in Dubai said the fire was brought under control and that no injuries were reported. During the suspension, several flights were diverted to Al Maktoum International Airport on the outskirts of the city. The Dubai Civil Aviation Authority later announced the gradual resumption of some flights to and from Dubai International Airport to selected destinations.
The government on Sunday said an Indian-flagged tanker, Jag Laadki, escaped damage during a drone attack on Fujairah Port and had sailed for India carrying 80,800 metric tonnes of crude oil. The vessel was loading crude at the port when its oil terminal was targeted. The government said all Indian seafarers in West Asia remain safe and no incident involving Indian sailors had been reported since Saturday.
The United Arab Emirates also ordered the arrest of 25 persons, including 17 Indians, for allegedly sharing misleading or fabricated videos about the conflict on social media, Scroll.in reported.
Authorities said the suspects would face an expedited trial. This follows the arrest of 10 persons, including two Indians, on Saturday for similar offences.
Meanwhile, Abbas Araghchi, the foreign minister of Iran, condemned Israeli strikes on fuel depots in Tehran, calling them “ecocide” and warning of long-term environmental and health consequences. He also told CBS News that Iran had allowed some vessels from different countries to pass safely through the Strait of Hormuz, though he did not specify which countries.
Donald Trump, president of the United States, urged members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, warning of serious consequences if the key shipping route remained blocked.
According to the Financial Times, Trump also suggested he might delay a planned summit with Xi Jinping to press China to assist in securing the waterway.
When asked about a missile strike on an elementary school in Iran that killed more than 165 people, many of them children, Trump said the incident was under investigation.
Japan on Monday began releasing oil reserves equivalent to about 45 days of supply to mitigate potential shortages as the conflict continues. The release will start with 15 days of private-sector reserves followed by a month of state-held stocks.
The conflict began on February 28 after Israel and the United States launched a joint military operation aimed at weakening Iran’s capabilities. Tehran retaliated by striking Israel and US military bases in the region, as well as targeting cities in Gulf countries and some ships.
Tensions have largely centred on Iran’s nuclear programme. Israel has claimed that Tehran is close to acquiring a nuclear weapon, a charge Iran denies, maintaining that its nuclear activities are for civilian purposes.
Iran has effectively blocked the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway linking the Gulf to the Arabian Sea through which about 20% of the world’s petroleum supply passes.
The International Energy Agency has said the fighting has triggered the largest supply disruption in the history of the global oil market, with Brent crude prices rising above $100 per barrel from about $72.8 before the conflict began.
