Iran claims drone strikes at US airbase in UAE
Aug 31, 2026
Tehran [Iran], August 31 : The Iranian Army claimed on Monday that it carried out drone strikes targeting helicopter and troop positions at the Al Minhad airbase in the United Arab Emirates.
According to a statement issued by the Iranian Army, the operation was launched "from early Monday morning, in response to the recent aggression by the aggressor enemy and in retaliation for the martyrdom of the brave personnel of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps and innocent Iranian compatriots on Larak Island, the Islamic Republic of Iran's Army targeted the locations of the helicopters and forces of the child-killing US military at the Al Minhad base in the UAE by launching dozens of attack drones."
The Iranian semi-official Tasnim News Agency reported that the Al Minhad facility serves as a vital logistics hub for supporting and transporting foreign forces. The army further stated its preparedness to guarantee national security until regional threats are neutralised, issuing a warning that it will "avenge the blood of all the martyrs of the imposed war from the American terrorist forces."
This development follows earlier retaliatory declarations by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) regarding US military positions across the region.
In response, the UAE Ministry of Defence stated that national air defence units intercepted an unmanned aerial vehicle over territorial waters moving from the direction of Iran.
"The Ministry affirmed that the Armed Forces remain on a high state of readiness to address any potential threats, while air defence systems continue to monitor and safeguard the country's airspace around the clock. The Ministry also urged the public to rely exclusively on official sources for information and to refrain from circulating rumours or inaccurate information," the UAE Ministry of Defence posted on X.
Earlier on Monday, the IRGC announced missile and drone strikes directed at the US King Hussein and Al-Azraq airbases in Jordan, framing the action as retaliation for the prior strike on Larak Island.
Tasnim News Agency reported that the IRGC targeted maintenance infrastructure and fighter-jet facilities at the Jordanian installations.
Larak Island is positioned off the coast of Bandar Abbas, near Qeshm and Hormuz islands in Hormozgan province. The military escalations unfolded after US forces struck two Iranian missile launchers on the island on Sunday local time.
US Central Command spokesperson Tim Hawkins stated that "Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces were observed preparing to launch rockets with sea mines into the Strait of Hormuz," noting that operations aim to safeguard commercial transit through the waterway, as reported by CBS News.
The IRGC reported multiple casualties among military personnel and civilians following Sunday night's operation on Larak Island, which it attributed to US and Israeli action.