- Identity of deceased has not yet been disclosed.
- Pakistani national died after being struck by missile fragments.
- All Pakistanis in UAE urged to remain calm and avoid speculation.
DUBAI: A Pakistani national was killed in Iranian missile strikes on the United Arab Emirates (UAE), confirmed the diplomatic officials on Saturday.
Talking to Geo News, diplomatic officials said the Pakistani national died in Abu Dhabi after being struck by missile fragments. The officials said that they were in contact with the UAE over the matter.
The identity of the deceased has not yet been disclosed.
Earlier today, Israel and the United States launched strikes on Iran, plunging the Middle East into a renewed military confrontation as President Donald Trump vowed to destroy Tehran’s missile arsenal and prevent it from developing a nuclear weapon.
Tehran responded with a sweeping barrage of missiles targeting Gulf states and Israel, marking a sharp escalation in regional hostilities.
Earlier in the day, Israel and the United States launched strikes on Iran, plunging the Middle East into a renewed military confrontation as President Donald Trump vowed to destroy Tehran’s missile arsenal and prevent it from developing a nuclear weapon.
Tehran responded with a sweeping barrage of missiles targeting Gulf states and Israel, marking a sharp escalation in regional hostilities.
Separately, the Pakistani embassy in the UAE, in light of recent developments, advised all Pakistani nationals to remain calm and avoid speculation.
“Please rely only on official and verified sources of the government of the UAE for information, do not circulate or act upon unverified news or social media reports,” said the embassy.
In a X post, the embassy said: “Pakistani nationals currently residing in the UAE must exercise caution, remain vigilant, minimise non-essential travels, if you have planned travel, please check your flight schedule and status with your airline before proceeding to the airport.”
The embassy urged the Pakistani national to stay in regular contact with the Pakistani missions.
Iran launches missiles after US and Israeli strikes
Several Gulf Arab states said they were targeted by Iranian missiles after Tehran pledged to retaliate against strikes by the US and Israel, bringing conflict to a part of the Arab world that prides itself on relative safety.
State media in the UAE said earlier that one person had been killed in Abu Dhabi, but gave no details.
Kuwait, Qatar, the UAE, and Jordan, all of which have a US military presence, said they had intercepted the Iranian missiles.
“All occupied territories and the criminal US bases in the region have been struck by the powerful blows of Iranian missiles. This operation will continue relentlessly until the enemy is decisively defeated,” Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said.
Loud booms, grey smoke
Bahrain confirmed an attack inside its territory and said a service center of the US Fifth Fleet had been struck. Video from a Reuters witness showed a plume of grey smoke rising near the small island nation’s coast as sirens wailed.
Loud booms were heard across Abu Dhabi, according to five witnesses including two Reuters correspondents. Some residents received a phone alert telling them to shelter in the closest secure building and stay away from windows because of missile threats.
One witness told Reuters she heard five booms in rapid succession that caused windows in a house near Abu Dhabi’s Corniche to vibrate. Other witnesses in the Al Dhafra and Bateen areas heard loud booms as well.
Fighter jets could be seen flying around the Yas Island area of Abu Dhabi on Saturday afternoon.
In Qatar, the military said in a statement that it had intercepted incoming Iranian missiles before they reached Qatari territory after “joint coordination”. Several successive waves of blasts were heard in the Qatari capital Doha.
After the US Embassy issued a warning to take shelter in Doha, many residents carried on their usual activities. Shoppers were in supermarkets, beachgoers headed to the seaside and a yellow double-decker tour bus filled with tourists drove through the city’s West Bay district.
Later, when the government pushed a shelter-in-place warning to mobile phones, fewer people were seen out in the streets and traffic thinned.
The Kuwaiti army says it dealt with missiles in Kuwaiti airspace, while Jordan said it had downed two Iranian ballistic missiles.
Global airlines suspended flights across the Middle East, with flight maps showing the airspace over Iran virtually empty.
— With additional input from Reuters
