What started as a joint strike by US, Israel on Iran – has now spread to Dubai, Abu Dhabi, among other key hubs bearing the brunt as the Islamic Republic launched retaliatory strikes on Saturday. Multiple reports even claimed an evacuation at the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building.
Videos, photos on social media showed plumes of smoke billowing from a prominent Dubai hotel, which was triggered by an Iranian air attack.
One civilian was also reported dead in Abu Dhabi.
Here’s a glimpse at the top updates about the situation in Dubai as Middle East boils amid US-Israel’s ‘Operation Fury.’
Burj Khalifa evacuated, Dubai Airport shut – Top Updates
- On Saturday, multiple explosions shook Dubai. Multiple reports claim an evacuation at the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building. According to a report by The Sunday Guardian, authorities evacuated visitors and staff from the Burj Khalifa after nearby missile activity and explosions activated emergency protocols.
- Dubai International, the world’s largest airport for international travel, and Dubai World Central – Al Maktoum International were shut down about 7 a.m. ET Saturday, according to a statement from Dubai Airports in the United Arab Emirates. All flight operations at the airports were suspended until further notice, said Dubai Airports spokesperson.
- “Passengers are advised not to travel to the airport at this time and to contact their respective airlines directly for the latest updates regarding their flights,” Dubai Airport’s statement said.
- Emirates canceled all flights until 3 am on Sunday (1 March), Qatar Airways halted operations until midnight, and Etihad Airways extended the suspension even longer, until Sunday afternoon, as per a report by Bloomberg.
- Not just evacuation of Burj Khalifa. Videos on social media also showed smoke rising from an iconic Dubai hotel, which was triggered reportedly due to an Iranian air attack. A photo also captured a projectile falling on the Middle Eastern City.
6. Airport disruptions across the region extended beyond flight cancellations. Kuwait’s civil aviation authority reported that a drone struck the country’s airport, leaving several people with minor injuries and causing “limited” damage to the passenger building, reported Bloomberg.
7. At Doha airport, which handles about a 1000 flights a day, chaotic scenes unfolded, reminiscent of the situation last year in June, when scattered Iranian strikes on Qatar left 20,000 travelers temporarily stranded, mentioned the US media outlet.
8. Iraq, Syria, and Kuwait announced at least partial airspace closures after spotting smoke over Tehran and Iran’s retaliatory strikes across the region.
9. In the wake of the strikes, oil and gas tankers are increasingly steering clear of the Hormuz shipping strait – the critical route linking the oil-rich Persian Gulf to open waters – with a large number of vessels holding outside of the waterway while some already transiting have turned back, mentioned a report by Bloomberg.
10. Speaking about the joint strike that US launched along with Israel, Donald Trump reportedly said that his main concern is “freedom” for the Iranian people.
Why is Iran targeting US bases in Middle East?
According to a report by AFP, Iran’s barrage of missiles in retaliation to U.S. and Israeli strikes could be heard across much of the region, including in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates, as well as Israel and Iraq, after Tehran vowed it would strike back forcefully if attacked.
“The Iranian armed forces consider as legitimate targets the sites from which the US and Zionist operations were carried out,” Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Iranian TV.
