Residents across Dubai were briefly alarmed Friday when the United Arab Emirates government sent out an incoming missile alert — only to follow up moments later telling the public to “disregard the previous warning,” suggesting the alert was sent out by mistake.
The text message, which was pushed to mobile phones throughout the city, marked the first such alert since the United States and Iran reached an interim ceasefire agreement the previous week. It was also the first alert of its kind to go out during the ongoing Iran war. What triggered the warning remained unclear.
The incident highlighted the fragile state of affairs across the Middle East, coming on the heels of an attack on a cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz and Israeli military strikes in Lebanon in recent days.
Iran is believed to be behind a drone strike targeting a tanker off the coast of Oman on Thursday. The attack reflected Tehran’s growing assertiveness over control of the strait, even as the interim ceasefire deal with the U.S. remains in place.
The alert had been sent by the UAE’s Interior Ministry on Friday afternoon. Shortly after it was retracted, UAE officials announced that the country’s Foreign Minister, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, had spoken by phone with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. According to the UAE, Sheikh Abdullah stressed that the UAE “emphasized the importance of full commitment” to the interim agreement between Iran and the United States.
“Serious diplomacy and responsible dialogue are the optimal path for addressing all regional and international crises,” the statement read.
Negotiations between Washington and Tehran are still ongoing as both sides work to finalize the terms of the interim peace deal. Key issues under discussion include ensuring safe passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz and determining the future of Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium. The two countries have a 60-day window under the interim agreement to settle those details.
