Iranian Missile and Drone Strikes Target UAE, Kuwait, and Qatar

Iranian Missile and Drone Strikes Target UAE, Kuwait, and Qatar

Gulf states including the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and Qatar faced a coordinated barrage of ballistic missiles and drones from Iran on March 9, 2026. The strikes represent a major expansion of hostilities as Tehran executes widespread retaliatory attacks across the Middle East following the recent outbreak of a broader regional war and the assassination of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Qatari-funded, pan-Arab broadcaster Al Jazeera relayed multiple statements from the UAE Defense Ministry detailing the scope of the assault. Early reports from the ministry confirmed that Emirati air defenses were actively "dealing with missile and drone attacks coming from #Iran". In a later operational update cited by Al Jazeera, the UAE Defense Ministry reported monitoring 35 incoming drones; forces intercepted 26, while 9 "fell inside the state's territory." Simultaneously, the UAE tracked 9 ballistic missiles, destroying 8 of them, with the final missile falling into the sea.

Neighboring Kuwait was also targeted in the offensive. According to Al Jazeera, the Kuwaiti Defense Ministry confirmed that its forces monitored five incoming ballistic missiles. Kuwaiti air defenses successfully destroyed four of the projectiles, while the fifth "fell outside the threat area."

Qatar similarly intercepted projectiles during the regional barrage. One Iraq, an Iraqi news channel that frequently covers regional security developments, reported a statement from the Qatari Defense Ministry. According to the channel, Qatari forces intercepted "8 Iranian ballistic missiles and a number of drones," noting that one of the missiles ultimately landed in an "uninhabited area."