UAE Air Defense Intercepts Multiple Ballistic Missiles and Drones Amid Escalating Regional Threats

ABU DHABI, March 23, 2026 — The United Arab Emirates Ministry of Defence announced today that its national air defense systems successfully intercepted and neutralized seven ballistic missiles and 16 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) launched from Iran.

This latest engagement brings the total count of neutralized threats since the onset of these aggressive operations to 352 ballistic missiles, 15 cruise missiles, and 1,789 drones.

While the defense systems have maintained a high interception rate, the ongoing hostilities have tragically resulted in the martyrdom of two UAE Armed Forces members in the line of duty and the deaths of six civilians of Pakistani, Nepalese, Bangladeshi, and Palestinian nationalities.

Furthermore, 161 individuals from a wide range of nationalities—including Emiratis, Egyptians, Sudanese, Indians, and several others—have sustained injuries ranging from minor to severe.

Reaffirming its commitment to national sovereignty, the Ministry of Defence UAE declared that its forces remain at the highest level of readiness to firmly confront any threats, vowing to protect the UAE’s security, stability, and national assets against all forms of external aggression.