News Desk
DUBAI: A suspected Iranian drone struck a parking lot adjacent to the US Consulate in Dubai, igniting a fire that sent thick black smoke into the air. US officials confirmed that all diplomatic personnel were safe, as tensions across the Middle East continued to escalate.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the drone struck a lot near the consulate’s chancellery building, causing a fire, but emergency teams contained it within about 45 minutes. No injuries were reported. Dubai authorities reaffirmed their commitment to public safety and security following the incident. Rubio noted that US personnel had already been reduced to “bare bones” at regional missions due to growing threats from Iran.
The strike comes amid a wave of Iranian missile and drone attacks in retaliation for the US–Israeli military campaign against Tehran, which reportedly killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. A similar attack had earlier targeted the US Embassy in Riyadh, causing minor material damage and prompting US officials to advise Americans in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait to shelter in place or evacuate.
Rubio confirmed that the US State Department is assisting American citizens leaving the region, with roughly 9,000 already evacuated and 1,500–1,600 more seeking assistance. Measures include charter flights, military transport, and expanded commercial services. Following the Dubai incident, the US raised its travel advisory for the United Arab Emirates to Level 3 and ordered non-emergency US government personnel and their families to leave.
US President Donald Trump defended the prior US strikes on Iran as preventive, stating that intelligence indicated Tehran was planning attacks on American targets. “If we didn’t do it, they were going to attack first,” Trump said during a meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
Meanwhile, the UAE reported that it had faced over 1,000 attacks from Iranian forces, more than any other targeted country, and reiterated its right to self-defense under international law. The incidents highlight the rapidly escalating regional conflict, with diplomatic facilities and civilians increasingly at risk as Iran’s retaliatory campaign continues.
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