UAE says it’s under attack from Iranian missiles and drones despite ceasefire

The United Arab Emirates said Monday that Iran has launched missile and drone attacks against the country, putting at risk the already shaky ceasefire between the United States and Tehran.

The reported attacks have prompted the UAE to activate its missile alert system for the first since the U.S. and Iran began their temporary truce on April 8.

The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment on whether these actions would be considered a violation of the ceasefire.

“The UAE’s air defenses are currently dealing with missile attacks and incoming drones from Iran,” Abu Dhabi’s Defence Ministry said in a translated post on its official X account.

The ministry also said that “the sounds heard in various parts of the country are the result of the UAE air defense systems intercepting ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones.”

In an earlier post, the ministry said that three “loitering munitions” were “intercepted over the country’s territorial waters,” while a fourth missile “fell into the sea.”

The UAE is located on the southern rim of the Persian Gulf, a major chokepoint in the U.S. and Israel’s war against Iran.

The development, which was not immediately confirmed in Iranian state media, further threatens the ongoing ceasefire, which was already being strained by new U.S. military actions in the Strait of Hormuz.

An alert issued to phones in Dubai and Abu Dhabi on Monday evening local time warned people, “Due to the current situation, potential missile threats, immediately seek a safe place in the closest secure building.”

Stocks fell and oil prices rose as the reported hostilities raised investors’ fears that the war’s ongoing impacts on the global economy could be exacerbated or prolonged.

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— CNBC’s Emma Graham and Megan Cassella contributed to this report.