UAE, Kuwait and Qatar all report drone attacks as Iran ramps up its threats

Abu Dhabi directly blames Tehran, while Doha and Kuwait City don’t name attackers; South Korea says its ship was struck last week by ‘unidentified aircraft’ in the Strait of Hormuz

The United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Qatar all reported likely Iranian attacks on Sunday in their territories, as Tehran appeared to be ramping up its strikes in the region despite the fragile ceasefire.

The Emirati Defense Ministry said that Iran fired two drones at the UAE on Sunday, and both were “successfully engaged.”

Iran has denied carrying out operations against the UAE in recent days, yet it warned of a “crushing response” if any actions were launched from the UAE against it.

The attacks prompted the UAE to shift to remote learning for schools last week, but authorities said on Sunday that in-person learning would resume from Monday.

In a social media post on Sunday, the spokesman for the Iranian parliament’s national security commission warned the United States: “Our restraint is over as of today.”

“Any attack on our vessels will trigger a strong and decisive Iranian response against American ships and bases,” Ebrahim Rezaei said.

Kuwait’s army also said Sunday it had detected and dealt with several hostile drones.

“At dawn today, the armed forces detected a number of hostile drones in Kuwaiti airspace, which were dealt with in accordance with established procedures,” the general staff of the army said on X, without specifying the origin of the drones.

On April 25, Kuwait’s army said two drones launched from ​Iraq had targeted ​two northern border posts, causing ​damage. Its air defenses also dealt with a wave of Iranian drones on April 8 that targeted vital infrastructure.

Also Sunday, the Qatari Defense Ministry said that a cargo vessel was attacked by a drone in Qatari waters northeast of Mesaieed port as the ship traveled from Abu Dhabi, causing a limited fire that was contained.

No injuries were reported and the vessel continued on its journey toward the port.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but Iran’s Fars news agency reported that “the bulk carrier that was struck near the coast of Qatar was sailing under a US flag and belonged to the United States.”

The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said earlier that a bulk carrier had reported being struck by an unknown projectile while sailing 23 nautical miles northeast of Doha, the capital of Qatar. Authorities are investigating the source of the projectile, UKMTO said.

The statement by Qatar’s Defense Ministry did not specify the origin of the drone.

But Qatar’s prime minister told Iran’s top diplomat Abbas Araghchi in a phone call that using the Strait of Hormuz as a “pressure card” will only deepen the Middle East crisis, the Qatari foreign ministry said Sunday.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani “stressed that freedom of navigation is a firmly established principle that is not open to compromise, and that closing the Strait of Hormuz or using it as a pressure card only serves to deepen the crisis,” the ministry said in a statement.

Separately, South Korea said Sunday that unidentified aircraft struck a South Korean cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz last week, days after the fire-damaged HMM Namu arrived at port in Dubai.

The waterway has been virtually closed since the United States and Israel launched a war against Iran in late February, with Tehran responding with attacks across the Middle East and imposing a chokehold on the strait, rattling global energy markets.

On Monday, May 4, “two unidentified aircraft struck the outer plate of the port-side ballast tank at the stern of the HMM Namu at roughly one-minute intervals, causing flames and smoke,” Seoul’s foreign ministry spokesman Park Il told a news briefing.

He did not specify what kind of aircraft had been involved in the attack, saying they “were captured on CCTV footage, but there are limitations in identifying the exact type, launch origin and physical size of the objects.”

Further analysis will be conducted on “engine debris and other fragments,” he added.

The damage to the cargo ship, which had 24 crew members on board, spanned about “five meters (16.5 feet) wide and extended roughly seven meters (23 feet) into the hull” on the port-side stern, Park said.

“The engine room fire is believed to have been ignited by the first strike, with the second strike appearing to have caused the blaze to spread rapidly.”

Tehran has denied responsibility for the attack, with its embassy in Seoul posting a statement on its website saying that it “firmly rejects and categorically denies any allegations regarding the involvement” of its forces.

Iran’s ambassador to South Korea was summoned to the foreign ministry to explain Tehran’s position regarding the findings, Park said.

Tension has been rising as Washington waits for Tehran to respond to its latest offer of a deal to extend a truce to allow the foes to enter peace negotiations.

Iranian state media reported Sunday afternoon that Tehran had submitted its response to the latest US proposals to permanently end the war and begin peace talks via Pakistani mediators.

The US proposal would formally end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz before beginning talks on more contentious issues, including the Iranian nuclear program.

Lazar Berman and Nava Freiberg contributed to this report.