The United Arab Emirates (UAE) accused Iran of firing two ballistic missiles at its territory on August 18, 2026. This was the first missile attack detected by UAE defenses in months. The UAE’s Defense Ministry reported that one missile fell outside territorial waters while the other landed inside.
Earlier that day, residents received a phone alert warning of a potential missile threat. The Interior Ministry advised people to seek immediate shelter in secure buildings. This came nearly two hours before the missiles were detected.
The alert was lifted shortly after and marked the third such warning this year. Previous alerts in June and July also turned out to be false alarms. Before that, the last missile warning occurred in May.
Meanwhile, Iran denied the allegations. A foreign ministry spokesperson called the claims harmful to regional trust and security efforts. The spokesperson said Tehran had not launched any missiles toward the UAE.
State-owned oil company ADNOC reported that its tankers have been targeted repeatedly in recent weeks. Since the war in West Asia began in February, the UAE has faced heavy Iranian attacks, including nearly 3,000 missiles and drones aimed at the country—more than any other regional state.
In June, a peace agreement between the two nations briefly reduced attacks, but it later collapsed. Following its collapse, UAE reported no further attacks until now, unlike other Gulf states.