The UAE Defense Ministry reported Sunday that air defense systems intercepted 16 of 17 ballistic missiles launched from Iran in the latest barrage, as well as 113 of 117 UAVs, as Iran's president stated that "relations with neighbors must be good" and following a statement by US President Donald Trump saying that Iran "has apologized and surrendered to its Middle East neighbors, and promised that it will not shoot at them anymore."
"Since the start of the Iranian attacks, 238 ballistic missiles have been detected," the UAE Ministry of Defense said. "Of these, 221 were destroyed, 15 fell into the sea, and 2 landed within the country. A total of 1,422 Iranian drones have also been detected, of which 1,342 were intercepted, while 80 fell within the country's territory."
The ministry added that eight cruise missiles were detected and destroyed. The attacks resulted in four deaths among Pakistani, Nepalese, and Bangladeshi nationals. Another 112 people sustained moderate to minor injuries. The injured included nationals of the UAE, Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, the Philippines, Pakistan, Iran, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Azerbaijan, Yemen, Uganda, Eritrea, Lebanon, Afghanistan, Bahrain, the Comoros, and Türkiye.
UAE air defences intercept 16 ballistic missiles, 113 UAVs
UAE air defences today (8th March, 2026) detected 17 ballistic missiles, of which 16 were destroyed, while 1 missile fell into the sea. A total of 117 UAVs were also detected, with 113 intercepted, while 4 UAVs fell… pic.twitter.com/BTikC5pRyd
— وزارة الدفاع |MOD UAE (@modgovae) March 8, 2026
Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian said earlier Sunday, "Relations with neighbors must be good, and our retaliations against strikes do not mean we have a problem with them."
The UAE pushed back, making clear it was prepared to respond to any escalation. "The Ministry of Defence affirmed that it remains fully prepared to deal with any threats and will respond firmly to any attempts to undermine the country's security, ensuring the protection of its sovereignty, security, and stability, and safeguarding its national interests and capabilities," the statement read.
