The Dubai Media Office said emergency services were dealing with the blaze after what it described as a “drone-related incident” near the airport. In a post on X, the office said authorities were taking necessary steps to secure the area and ensure public safety.

Videos circulating on social media showed a large column of smoke rising from the area near the airport, though officials did not immediately report casualties or provide details on the extent of the damage.

The attack occurred hours after Iran issued warnings calling for the evacuation of three major ports in the United Arab Emirates, signaling an expansion of threats to infrastructure in neighboring Gulf states.

Iranian officials accused the United States of using facilities in the UAE, including ports and docking areas, to launch strikes against Kharg Island, which hosts Iran’s primary oil export terminal.

Tehran did not provide evidence to support the allegation.

The drone strike comes amid an intensifying regional confrontation following the outbreak of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran on Feb. 28.Officials say Gulf Arab states have faced more than 2,000 missile and drone attacks since the conflict began, targeting U.S. diplomatic facilities, military bases and key civilian infrastructure including oil installations, ports, airports and commercial areas.

The UAE, which normalized relations with Israel in 2020 under the Abraham Accords, has experienced a significant share of the attacks, though governments across the Gulf have reported incidents and have condemned Iran over the strikes.

The latest strike marks another escalation in the widening confrontation involving Iran, Israel and regional armed groups, which has expanded across several fronts in recent days.

Lebanon’s Hezbollah said its fighters were involved in “direct clashes” with Israeli forces late on Saturday in the southern Lebanese town of Khiam.The group said the fighting involved light and medium weapons as well as rocket-propelled projectiles.

Israeli authorities did not immediately comment on the reported engagement.Cross-border exchanges between Israeli forces and Hezbollah have intensified as the broader conflict spreads across the region.

Lebanon is preparing to form a delegation aimed at negotiating with Israel in an effort to halt the war with Iran-backed Hezbollah, a Lebanese official said.

“Negotiations are on the table and preparations are underway to form a delegation, but neither the timing nor the location has been determined,” the official said, adding that Paris and Cyprus were being considered as potential venues for talks.

Israel has not publicly committed to participating in such negotiations.

Lebanon’s health ministry said Israeli strikes had killed 826 people since the start of the latest conflict with Hezbollah, including 65 women and 106 children, while 2,009 others had been wounded.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Ankara feared Israel was “moving toward a new genocide under the pretext of fighting Hezbollah” during its ongoing assault on Lebanon.

The ministry initially described the incident as a missile attack on the base but later said the strike appeared to involve a drone. Officials said the unmanned aircraft may have struck the facility accidentally after losing altitude rather than intentionally targeting the base.

“There are no casualties or injuries among the Italian personnel. They are all fine,” the ministry said in a statement posted shortly after midnight on the social media platform X.

Col. Stefano Pizzotti, the base commander, told Sky TG24 that troops had been warned of possible aerial threats hours before the incident and had taken shelter in bunkers ahead of the strike.

Pizzotti said it remained unclear where the strike originated. He added that although the air raid alert had ended, specialists were continuing to inspect and secure the area.

Italy maintains around 300 troops in Irbil tasked with training Kurdish security forces, according to information published by the defence ministry.

Pizzotti said troop numbers at the base had recently been reduced because of heightened security risks linked to the ongoing conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran in the wider region.

According to the Syrian Arab News Agency, Al-Sharaa raised concerns during the conversation about recent shelling near the border town and alleged movements of Hezbollah fighters near Syrian army positions. Syrian authorities said artillery fire launched from Lebanese territory had landed close to Serghaya, a town located west of the Syrian capital.

During the discussion, Al-Sharaa expressed support for efforts by the Lebanese government to disarm Hezbollah, describing the move as an important step toward strengthening Lebanese sovereignty and reducing the risk of wider regional instability.

The Syrian president also emphasized the need for coordinated measures between Damascus and Beirut to safeguard civilians and prevent further escalation along the border region.

The conversation between the two leaders took place as tensions across the Middle East have intensified following strikes by the United States and Israel against Iran that began on Feb. 28, according to regional reports. The escalation has contributed to population movements and security concerns across neighboring states.

Thousands of Syrians who had fled to Lebanon during the 13-year Syrian civil war have returned home in recent days as the conflict expanded across parts of the region.

Israel has carried out strikes across several locations in the Middle East as hostilities involving Iran and its allies intensified. Hezbollah, a close ally of Tehran that is designated as a terrorist organization by Britain and several other countries, has also launched attacks into Israel.

Israeli forces have responded with air strikes targeting Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon and southern Beirut. Israeli troops have also moved into key areas south of the Litani River amid the ongoing confrontation.

Emergency services responded to the site shortly after the impact, transporting the injured to nearby hospitals while security teams secured the surrounding neighborhood, according to officials familiar with the incident. The identities of the victims were not immediately released, and authorities did not specify the precise type or origin of the projectile.Local authorities said the injured were receiving medical treatment and that several sustained moderate wounds. Civil defense personnel also assessed structural damage to nearby homes and vehicles, which appeared to have been struck by debris from the blast.Investigation underwaySaudi security officials said an investigation had been launched to determine the trajectory and source of the projectile. Initial assessments focused on whether the strike was linked to ongoing regional hostilities that have periodically spilled across borders in recent years.Officials said forensic teams were examining fragments recovered from the site while military radar data was being reviewed to reconstruct the object’s path before impact.Residents in the area reported hearing a loud explosion that rattled windows and triggered panic among families before emergency crews arrived. Authorities urged the public to avoid the affected zone while investigators completed their work.Civilian areas exposed to regional tensionsThe incident comes amid heightened regional tensions that have periodically placed civilian infrastructure and residential districts at risk. Saudi Arabia has previously reported projectile and drone strikes targeting cities and energy facilities during periods of heightened conflict in the Middle East.Security analysts say such incidents highlight the vulnerability of populated areas to spillover from broader geopolitical confrontations. While Saudi air defense systems intercept many incoming threats, officials acknowledge that some projectiles can evade interception and cause casualties.Authorities reiterated that emergency response systems remain on high alert and that additional security assessments are being conducted in the aftermath of the strike.Medical teams continued treating the wounded late on Sunday while civil defense units cleared debris and inspected nearby buildings for potential structural hazards.

In a statement posted in Farsi on social media platform X, the Israeli military said it would continue to target “every successor” to Khamenei. The statement also warned individuals involved in the process of appointing the Islamic Republic’s next supreme leader that they would be pursued.The warning came as Iran’s clerical body responsible for choosing the country’s top authority prepared to meet to decide who will replace Khamenei.succession process in focusIran’s supreme leader is selected by the Assembly of Experts, a clerical council tasked with appointing and supervising the country’s highest political and religious authority. The position carries sweeping influence over Iran’s armed forces, judiciary and key strategic decisions.The Israeli statement signals a direct attempt to pressure the succession process as uncertainty grows over Iran’s leadership structure following Khamenei’s reported death.mounting regional tensionsThe escalation reflects sharply rising tensions between Israel and Iran, whose rivalry has increasingly played out through military strikes, covert operations and regional confrontations.

Israeli officials have repeatedly said they will act against Iranian leadership, military infrastructure and networks they view as threats to Israel’s security.political uncertainty in TehranThe prospect of a leadership transition in Iran has heightened scrutiny of the country’s political institutions. The Assembly of Experts holds the constitutional authority to select a new supreme leader, a process that can shape the direction of Iran’s domestic governance and foreign policy.Israel’s latest warning suggests the confrontation could extend beyond military targets to the political mechanisms overseeing Iran’s leadership transition.

The attacks came after U.S. and Israeli military operations targeting Iranian assets, part of a widening confrontation that has pushed the region into its most volatile security environment in years.Regional escalationMilitary activity has expanded beyond direct strikes between Iran and Israel, with missile alerts and military deployments reported across several countries in the Gulf region.Officials have warned that the continued exchange of attacks risks spreading instability across neighbouring states and key strategic waterways.Diplomatic pressure growsGovernments and international institutions have called for restraint as the conflict threatens to disrupt global trade routes and energy markets.Diplomatic channels remain active, but military operations have continued across multiple fronts as each side signals readiness for further escalation.