UAE intercepts 14 missiles, 19 drones from Iran amid regional escalation

The United Arab Emirates said its air defenses intercepted 14 missiles and 19 drones from Iran on Monday, as escalation continues to rage across the region.

The Defense Ministry said in a statement that 12 ballistic missiles, two cruise missiles and 19 drones were shot down.

The new attacks wounded four people with injuries ranging from minor to severe, bringing the total number of injured to 221 of various nationalities since the Iranian attacks began on Feb. 28, the ministry said.

According to the ministry, the UAE air defense systems dealt with 519 ballistic missiles, 26 cruise missiles and 2,210 drones since the start of the Iranian attacks.

The statement said that two Emirati soldiers, a Moroccan civilian contractor, and 10 civilians of different nationalities have been killed in the Iranian strikes.

Hostilities in the region have escalated since the US and Israel launched a joint offensive on Iran on Feb. 28, killing over 1,340 people to date, including the then-supreme leader, Ali Khamenei.

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

*Writing by Lina Altawell