An Iranian drone struck a fuel tank at Dubai International Airport early Monday, causing a large fire and the temporary suspension of flights at one of the world’s busiest airports, local authorities announced.
Dubai Airport served more than 95 million passengers during 2025, according to aviation industry data. Due to the attack, flights on Monday morning were suspended for several hours, after which they gradually began to resume toward certain destinations, the airport management announced on the social network X.
This is not the first attack on this airport. Since the United States and Israel attacked Iran on February 28, Dubai has been the target of Iranian drones multiple times. However, Monday’s attack is the largest so far and shows that Iran continues to attack civilian infrastructure in the United Arab Emirates and other Persian Gulf states, writes the Washington Post.
Footage shows a fire burning near Dubai International Airport after a drone ignited a fuel tank, according to authorities in the UAE.
— Al Jazeera Breaking News (@AJENews) March 16, 2026
Flights have been suspended. Civil defence crews say the blaze is under control. pic.twitter.com/G8q4ECnjB3
Iran previously warned that banks and other companies in the Dubai financial center are legitimate targets, and during the weekend, it called on civilians to move away from major ports, which it claims could be hit in attacks.
The fire at the airport was reported around 4 a.m. local time, and firefighters managed to bring it under control by sunrise. According to official information, there were no injuries in the incident.
Nevertheless, around 9 a.m., smoke could still be seen above the airport, while Dubai police stated that certain roads in the vicinity of the airport were temporarily closed.
🚨 FOOTAGE: 🇦🇪 Huge Fire erupts near Dubai International Airport after drone strike, flights disrupted
— War Alerts (@War__Alerts) March 16, 2026
⚡ Reports say the strike ignited a fuel tank near the airport, briefly suspending operations before limited flights began resuming. pic.twitter.com/NNHcNgcpft
The airline Emirates, the largest carrier flying out of Dubai, initially advised passengers not to come to the airport and announced that all flights were temporarily suspended. It was later announced that a limited number of flights would be established after 10 a.m., but that some departures would still be canceled.
“We thank our passengers for their understanding and patience,” the company stated in a post on the X network. “The safety of our passengers and crew is our highest priority and will not be compromised.”
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Source: Nova.rs; Photo: Stringer / EPA