UAE intercepts Iranian-origin drone over territorial waters

The air force of the United Arab Emirates on Monday intercepted a drone over the nation’s territorial waters as it approached from Iran.

The Defence Ministry said the country’s armed forces were “on full alert” to counter threats. Air defences “continue to monitor and follow up on all routes covering the sky of the country,” the Ministry added in a statement.

The Ministry said, “No further information is available at the moment regarding the types of drones, their flight paths and where they landed.

“The UAE Air Force responded to a UAV detected over the country’s territorial waters, approaching from Iran,” the Ministry of Defence said in a statement, according to UAE media reports.

The incident comes amid heightened military tensions involving Iran and Gulf states. Recent exchanges of missile and drone attacks have raised concerns over the security of regional airspace and shipping routes.

The ministry urged residents to obtain information from official UAE sources and avoid spreading rumours or false information.

It said the armed forces remain on high alert as air defence units continue their round-the-clock surveillance of UAE airspace.