At least six people have been confirmed dead, and over 140 others, including Nigerians, were injured in Iran’s latest missile and drone strikes on United Arab Emirates (UAE) targets linked to the US.
The UAE Ministry of Defence said its air defence systems intercepted several ballistic missiles and drones launched from Iran, calling it a serious escalation in the Middle East.
The attacks have caused significant damage and rattled economies in the Gulf countries.
“The UAE air defence systems on March 14 engaged nine ballistic missiles and 33 UAVs launched from Iran,” the ministry said.
“Since the onset of this blatant Iranian aggression, UAE air defences have engaged 294 ballistic missiles, 15 cruise missiles, and 1,600 UAVs launched from Iran.”
Authorities revealed that those killed included citizens of the UAE as well as foreign nationals from Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh.
Other affected nationals are from Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, the Philippines, Pakistan, Iran, India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
The list also includes Azerbaijan, Yemen, Uganda, Eritrea, Lebanon, Afghanistan, Bahrain, Comoros, Türkiye, Iraq, Nepal, Oman, Jordan, Palestine, Ghana, Indonesia and Sweden.
Despite protests from neighbouring countries, Iran has reportedly continued launching missile and drone strikes across parts of the Gulf region.
The attacks are believed to be retaliation for recent military operations by the United States and Israel against Iranian targets.
Late on Friday and into Saturday, Iran targeted several Gulf countries, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE, with some of the strikes reportedly damaging infrastructure.
The UAE remains a major travel, employment and transit destination for many Nigerian citizens.
Meanwhile, Nigerians stranded in different Gulf countries have appealed to the Federal Government to make arrangements for evacuation flights should the security situation worsen.
It is still uncertain how many Nigerians are currently in Iran or other Middle Eastern countries affected by the ongoing conflict
