A drone strike ignited a massive fire at a fuel tank near Dubai International Airport early Monday, forcing a temporary halt to flights at one of the world's busiest aviation hubs. Dubai Civil Defence teams contained the blaze shortly after it was reported around 4 a.m. local time, with no injuries recorded from the incident.

The Dubai Media Office stated on X that authorities were responding to a "fire resulting from a drone-related incident in the vicinity of Dubai International Airport," emphasizing that all necessary measures were taken for public safety. Dubai Civil Aviation Authority announced the suspension of flights at 6:30 a.m. as a precautionary step. Operations resumed on a limited schedule starting around 10 a.m., with some flights diverted to Al Maktoum International Airport and others canceled.

Emirates airline confirmed the partial resumption and advised passengers to check updates. Roads and tunnels near the airport were temporarily closed by Dubai Police to manage the response.

The attack occurred amid heightened regional tensions in the ongoing conflict between Iran and a U.S.-Israeli coalition, now in its third week. UAE air defenses have intercepted hundreds of missiles and drones launched from Iran since strikes on Tehran began on February 28. Gulf states, including the UAE, have faced over 2,000 such attacks targeting civilian infrastructure like airports, ports, and oil facilities, according to reports.

On the same day, a separate missile strike in Abu Dhabi's Al Bahyah area killed one Palestinian civilian when it hit a vehicle, and drone debris sparked a fire in Fujairah's industrial oil zone, though no injuries were reported there. Saudi Arabia intercepted dozens of drones, while Qatar and Kuwait reported similar defensive actions.

UAE Ministry of Defence confirmed air defenses were countering "incoming missile and drone threats from Iran." Iranian officials have justified the strikes by citing U.S. military bases in Gulf countries as legitimate targets but denied some specific attacks, like one on Kuwait's airport.

Leaders from the UAE and Saudi Arabia condemned the assaults as "sinful Iranian attacks" in a joint call, vowing to bolster defenses. The UN Security Council passed a resolution criticizing Iran's actions on Gulf states. Diplomatic adviser Dr. Anwar Gargash described the strikes as evidence of Iran's "military failure, political isolation, and lack of morality."

This marks at least the second recent incident near DXB; last week, falling drones injured four workers. The UAE has reported six deaths overall since late February, including four civilians and two military personnel from unrelated causes.