UAE reports missile, drone attacks from Iran after ceasefire

The United Arab Emirates said Wednesday that its air defenses intercepted 17 ballistic missiles and 35 drones from Iran, hours after the announcement of a two-week ceasefire between Tehran and Washington.

The ministry added that the sounds of explosions heard in different areas across the country were caused by air defense systems intercepting missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles.

“The air defenses are currently dealing with missiles and drones coming from Iran,” the ministry said, adding that the noises reported by residents were linked to these interception operations.

The ministry said that air defenses had intercepted 537 ballistic missiles, 26 cruise missiles and 2,256 drones from Iran since the start of the Iranian attacks in February.

Wednesday’s reported attacks came hours after US President Donald Trump announced a two-week ceasefire with Iran on Tuesday, saying Tehran presented a “workable” 10-point proposal for negotiations.

The announcement came less than two hours before the expiration of a deadline Trump had repeatedly extended for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and accept an agreement or face “the destruction of an entire civilization.”

Regional tensions have escalated since the US and Israel launched a joint offensive against Iran on Feb. 28, killing more than 1,400 people to date, including then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Iran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel as well as Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries hosting US military assets. It has also restricted the movement of ships through the Strait of Hormuz.