Dubai, April 1 — UAE airlines, including Emirates and flydubai, announced on their official websites that Iranian nationals are not permitted to enter or transit the country. Flydubai’s notice said holders of the UAE Golden Visa are exempt from the restriction. The announcements were reported by Xinhua and carried by news agencies.
The move comes amid heightened tensions in the region after the UAE said its air defences intercepted a recent attack it attributed to Iran. The UAE Ministry of Defence reported that its forces engaged 16 ballistic missiles and 42 unmanned aerial vehicles launched from Iran in the most recent incident. In a broader operational update, the Ministry said that since the start of what it described as blatant Iranian aggression its air defences have engaged 414 ballistic missiles, 15 cruise missiles and 1,914 UAVs.
The Ministry reported casualties from the attacks, saying two members of the armed forces were killed while on duty and a civilian contractor was also among the dead, with eight fatalities reported in total. A further 178 people were injured, with injuries described as ranging from minor to severe. The Ministry affirmed it remains prepared to respond to threats and will act to protect the state’s sovereignty, security and stability.
Separately, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) issued a statement claiming responsibility for strikes on industrial sites in the region. Iranian state media IRIB reported that the IRGC Aerospace and Naval forces conducted a combined operation using missiles and drones against facilities the IRGC described as linked to the US military and aerospace sector. The IRGC named targets including the Emirates Global Aluminium (EMAL) facility in the UAE and Aluminium Bahrain (Alba) in Bahrain, saying the strikes were retaliation for attacks on Iran’s industrial infrastructure.
The situation remains fluid and authorities in the UAE and the region continue to monitor security developments closely. News agencies reported the airline travel notices and military statements; further updates may follow as official sources provide additional information.
