Iranian drone hits Dubai airport again, flights suspended

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Iranian drone hits Dubai airport again, flights suspended

March 7, 2026

DUBAI,— Operations at Dubai International Airport were briefly stopped Saturday morning after an Iranian drone strike occurred close to the airport’s main terminals.

The incident took place hours after Iran announced it would stop attacks against neighboring states and issued an apology for earlier strikes.

Officials temporarily halted flights at the airport following the reported Iranian drone activity near the terminals. The Dubai Media Office confirmed the suspension in a public statement.

The statment said flights at Dubai International Airport were briefly halted to protect travelers, airport employees and airline crews. Officials said the precautionary measure was taken to ensure safety at the airport.

Witnesses in the area reported hearing a powerful explosion. Some said they saw thick black smoke rising from the direction of the airport shortly afterward.

Airport operations were later reported to be restarting after the short interruption.

Among those present during the incident was Euronews correspondent Lily Douse. She said she had boarded an Emirates aircraft scheduled to fly to Cape Town when the situation unfolded.

Douse reported that passengers were asked to leave the plane and move to a secure underground section of the terminal.

She said travelers remained in the protected area for about one hour. After that period, they returned to the aircraft and the flight later departed safely.

Authorities have not clarified whether air defenses intercepted the drone or if the airport suffered any physical damage.

Dubai International Airport handles the largest volume of international passengers in the world.

People across Dubai reported hearing multiple blasts earlier the same morning. The government later confirmed that air defense systems had been activated during the events.

The attack occurred one day after Iran’s interim leadership council approved a decision stating that neighboring countries would not be targeted unless attacks against Iran originated from their territory.

Regional tensions increased after the United States and Israel carried out joint airstrikes against Iran on February 28, 2026.

The strikes killed Iran’s supreme leader and more than 40 senior military officers in Tehran and several other cities.

Iran later responded with several waves of missile and drone attacks directed at locations in the Gulf region. Targets included major airports, seaports, hotels, and residential neighborhoods in Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, according to the report.

(With files from Euronews | Reuters)