Iran fired two ballistic missiles at territory: UAE Defence Ministry
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- Iran launched two ballistic missiles toward the UAE on August 18, 2026, with the first falling outside UAE territorial waters and the second within them, per the UAE Defence Ministry's statement on X
- UAE Interior Ministry issued a phone alert warning residents to "immediately seek a safe place" roughly two hours before the Defence Ministry's statement, lifting it shortly after
- ADNOC state-owned oil tankers have been repeatedly targeted by Iranian strikes in recent weeks, the article notes
- Since the West Asia war began on February 28, the UAE has absorbed nearly 3,000 Iranian missiles and drones — more than any other country in the region
- A June memorandum of understanding between Iran and the UAE had paused attacks on the Emirates while other Gulf states continued to be hit, but that MoU has since collapsed
- The August 18 alert was the first since a June false alarm and a July warning for an attack that never entered UAE territory; the prior genuine missile warning came in early May
Why it matters: With the Iran-UAE MoU collapsed, the UAE — which alone absorbed nearly 3,000 missiles and drones since February 28 — is back in the firing line, and ADNOC's repeatedly targeted tanker fleet faces renewed risk on top of an attack tempo that had briefly paused only for the Emirates.
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