Did Iran Strike Dubai Airport? UAE Says Falling Shrapnel Caused Limited Incident

Dubai: Authorities in the United Arab Emirates said a limited incident occurred in Dubai after fragments from an intercepted aerial threat fell near the city, even as flight tracking data showed aircraft temporarily holding outside the airport following reports of a nearby strike.

Videos of a huge plume of smoke was seen rising after an object fell near one of the airport's terminals of the airport after the aerial interception circulated on social media.

Loud explosion heard 

According to witnesses, a loud explosion was heard followed by a huge cloud of smoke.

The government's The Dubai Media Office earlier issued a statement saying: “For the safety of passengers, airport staff, and airline crew, operations at Dubai International (DXB) have been temporarily suspended.”

'Fall of a shrapnel fragment…'

Earlier, in a statement posted on X, the Dubai Media Office said the situation resulted from “the fall of a shrapnel fragment caused by a successful interception operation by air defenses,” adding that no injuries were recorded. 

Officials also ‘dismissed’ reports circulating on social media claiming there had been an incident at Dubai International Airport, saying those claims were false.

“The competent authorities have dealt with a limited incident resulting from the fall of a shrapnel fragment caused by a successful interception operation by air defenses, with no injuries recorded,” the statement said.

Additionally, Emirates, the largest airline in the Middle East also announced on Saturday that it was suspending all its flights to and from Dubai until further notice.

"Please do not go to the airport," the airline said.

Services Partially resumed

Meanwhile, hours after the incident, Dubai airport partially resumed its services.

“In a post on X, the statement read, ”We have partially resumed operations from today, 7 March, with some flights operating out of DXB and DWC. Please do not travel to the airport unless you have been contacted by your airline that your flight is confirmed, as schedules continue to change."

Flight tracking platform Flightradar24 earlier reported that several aircraft bound for Dubai were placed in holding patterns after a reported drone or missile strike occurred in close proximity to the airport. The service later said aircraft had moved to a closer holding pattern as authorities assessed the situation, though arrivals had not immediately resumed.

The developments come amid heightened tensions in the Middle East following the ongoing conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran, which has triggered missile and drone interceptions across parts of the Gulf region in recent days. 

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