UAE says Iran has fired 16 ballistic missiles and 117 drones in new barrages

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Politico

03/08/2026 07:13 AM EDT


DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The United Arab Emirates says Iran has launched 16 ballistic missiles and over 117 drones in new barrages Sunday.

The UAE’s Defense Ministry says it intercepted all 16 missiles, while a 17th fell into the sea. It says it intercepted most of the drones, but four fell in UAE territory. The ministry said it is ready to “firmly confront” the threats.

Iran’s president earlier Sunday threatened to increase attacks on U.S. targets across the region in the face of ongoing Israeli and U.S. strikes. The Emirati statement did not specify the locations of Sunday’s attacks.

Also Sunday, Bahrain accused Iran of striking a desalination plant, raising fears that civilian infrastructure may become fair game in the war, as Iran’s president vowed to expand the country’s attacks on American targets across the region in the face of intense U.S. and Israeli airstrikes.

Read more: https://www.politico.com/news/2026/03/08/uae-says-iran-has-fired-16-ballistic-missiles-and-117-drones-in-new-barrages-00818181

[Pachamama]

1. UAE intercepted or the US intercepted for them?

[rollin74]

2. UAE intercepted

Abu Dhabi: The UAE’s air defence systems intercepted and destroyed 16 ballistic missiles and 113 drones on Sunday as part of a new wave of attacks targeting the country, the Ministry of Defence said.

https://gulfnews.com/amp/story/uae%2Fgovernment%2Fuae-intercepts-16-ballistic-missiles-and-113-drones-in-latest-attacks-1.500467428

Link to tweet

/photo/1

[pat_k]

3. Focusing on UAE to piss off billionaires and elites.

Who knows? Perhaps enough of them will get pissed enough to bring the felon to heel.

NPR report today.
https://knpr.org/2026-03-07/the-impact-of-irans-attacks-on-the-uae

In the days since the U.S. and Israel launched their war with Iran, Iran has retaliated by firing thousands of missiles and drones at Israel and neighboring Gulf Arab countries. But new data show how Iran has targeted one of those Gulf nations a lot more than the others. That's the United Arab Emirates. That's where NPR international correspondent Aya Batrawy is based, and she brings us this report on how the UAE has been caught in the crossfire.

Full report is interesting.

[Igel]

4. I like maps.

So the 17th missile fell into the sea.

You know what else is in the sea between the UAE and Iran?

Qeshm Island and its desalination plant. Jus' sayin'.

[EX500rider]

5. No doubt Iran has a significant failure rate in missiles & UAV's...

....plus all the anti-aircraft missiles they shoot up come back down somewhere in Iran.

[pat_k]

6. Capt. Tim Hawkins, a spokesman for the U.S. Central Command, said that U.S. forces were not responsible for that attack.

That was reported by the NYTimes.

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/08/world/middleeast/desalination-plants-iran-bahrain.html?unlocked_article_code=1.RlA.sdsd.SEzX_Llz6Lex&smid=url-share

While I don't know that I completely trust anything Hegseth's DoD has to say, with an explicit denial, the Iranian claim that the U.S. was responsible is clearly in doubt.

WRT destruction of the Shajareh Tayyebeh girls' elementary school is in Minab, it is absurd for U.S. officials to keep denying responsibility given the proximity of an IRGC naval forces compound in Minab.

This article reports:

The United States acknowledges targeting the IRGC naval forces base in Minab on 2/28/2026. The U.S. is operating warships in the Arabian Sea, including the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier, within range of the school and IRGC naval forces compound.

Israel, which has denied conducting the strike, has focused on areas of Iran closer to Israel and hasn’t reported any strikes south of Isfahan, 800 kilometers (500 miles) away.

The NYTimes article (link below) compares a satellite image of Minab taken 5/14/2024 with an image taken 3/4/2026. It is clear that structures in the compound AND the school were destroyed.

See the NYTimes before and after images in this article (gift link):

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/05/world/middleeast/iran-school-us-strikes-naval-base.html?unlocked_article_code=1.RlA.2EcF.5qU_8h7jZBgA&smid=url-share