UAE condemns Iranian drone attack, says it reserves right to respond

Abu Dhabi: The UAE has strongly condemned what it described as an aggressive Iranian drone attack on the country, saying the aircraft was dealt with by air defence systems over UAE territorial waters and that the incident represented a serious escalation and a clear violation of its sovereignty.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the attack posed a direct threat to the UAE’s security and stability, as well as to the safety of citizens and residents.

In a statement, the ministry said such attacks constituted an unacceptable violation and a direct threat to the country’s security, stability and territorial integrity, in breach of the principles of international law and the United Nations Charter.

The UAE stressed that it would not compromise on protecting its security and sovereignty under any circumstances and said it reserved its full and legitimate right to respond to the attack in a manner that safeguards its sovereignty, national security and territorial integrity, as well as the safety of citizens, residents and visitors, in accordance with international law.

It also described the targeting of the country as unacceptable under legal and humanitarian standards and called for an immediate halt to such attacks and full compliance with the cessation of all hostile acts.

The UAE held Iran fully responsible for the attack and its consequences.

The statement followed an earlier announcement by the Ministry of Defence that the UAE Air Force had responded to a UAV detected over the country’s territorial waters while approaching from Iran.

The Defence Ministry said the Armed Forces remained on a high state of readiness to address any threats, while air defence systems continued to monitor the country’s airspace around the clock. It also urged the public to rely on official sources for information and avoid circulating rumours or inaccurate information.