UAE issues missile threat alert, urges residents to seek shelter in nearest secure building

Published Aug 18, 04:08 PM UTC

On August 18, 2026, the United Arab Emirates issued a brief phone alert warning of 'potential missile threats,' urging residents to seek shelter in the nearest secure building. The UAE Ministry of Defence confirmed it had detected missiles directed towards the country, marking the first such alert since a false alarm in June and an alert in July for an attack that did not enter UAE territory. The alert was lifted shortly after. The warning comes amid the ongoing West Asia war that began on February 28, during which the UAE faced nearly 3,000 missiles and drones from Iran. A Memorandum of Understanding between the parties in June had temporarily halted attacks on the UAE, but it has since collapsed. Tankers belonging to state-owned oil company ADNOC have been repeatedly targeted in recent weeks.