Dubai Airport Hit as UK planes 'in the sky' and regional flights grounded

The dubai airport hit occurred as US and Israeli strikes on Iran sparked immediate Iranian counterattacks and major disruption to regional travel. Sir Keir Starmer said British planes were "in the sky" in the Middle East as part of a defensive operation to protect people, interests and allies, and he spoke with US President Donald Trump about the situation.

Dubai Airport Hit and Injuries

One person has died and seven were injured after an "incident" at Abu Dhabi's Zayed airport, and Dubai saw separate incidents that left four people injured. Abu Dhabi Airports said the incident "resulted in one fatality involving an Asian national and 7 injuries" and urged people not to circulate rumours. Dubai's city media office said the Dubai International incident left four staff with injuries when a concourse sustained "minor damage"; eyewitness images and footage also showed a plume of smoke near the Fairmont The Palm hotel after a separate incident in the Palm Jumeirah area that injured four people and produced visible smoke.

Starmer's call and defensive flights

Sir Keir Starmer spoke to Donald Trump after the US and Israel launched strikes across several Iranian cities, including the capital Tehran. He reiterated that British planes were "in the sky" in the Middle East as part of a defensive operation "to protect our people, our interests and our allies. " Starmer said protections for British bases and personnel had been stepped up to their highest level and chaired a meeting of the government’s emergency Cobra committee earlier on Saturday to discuss the UK response.

Scope of regional strikes and retaliation

The US‑Israeli strikes were launched after negotiations to limit Iran's nuclear programme ended without a deal; the UK did not participate in those initial strikes. Iran launched an immediate counterattack that included strikes on Israel and Jordan and on US bases in Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait. The prime minister condemned Iran's retaliatory attacks "on partners across the region" and said many countries attacked by Iran "are not parties to this conflict, " calling Iran's strikes "indiscriminate. " Iran's Supreme National Security Council has promised a "crushing" response to the US‑Israeli attacks.

RAF deployments and defences

Starmer and other the UK was carrying out defensive operations from bases in the region. RAF fighter jets were described as flying defensive missions from Qatar and Cyprus to shoot down incoming drones and missiles. Last month the UK deployed RAF Typhoons to Qatar to protect al‑Udeid airbase and other allied facilities. An extra six F‑35s and additional air defence, radar and counterdrone systems were deployed to the RAF Akrotiri airbase in Cyprus, from where they could be used to defend Israel, Jordan or other countries. It is understood British forces are located at some of the US bases in small numbers. Starmer also rejected a request from Donald Trump to use RAF bases in Diego Garcia and Fairford earlier this month.

Travel disruption and guidance for Britons

Flights to and from the UAE, Qatar, Israel and Bahrain were among those cancelled, and flights from Abu Dhabi and Dubai were grounded on Saturday as a precaution. The situation has caused major disruption to air travel and security in the region, with hundreds of thousands of Britons potentially affected and thousands of UK citizens potentially stuck because of temporary closures of airspace and airports in countries such as the UAE and Qatar. British nationals in Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates were advised to immediately shelter in place after reports of Iranian missile attacks, and the Foreign Office advised against all travel to Israel and Palestine.

The Foreign Office told Britons to "Remain indoors in a secure location, avoid all travel and follow instructions from the local authorities, " and said it was "working around the clock" to support British nationals, offering consular assistance available 24/7 and urging people to sign up for Register Your Presence and travel advice emails so they can be contacted.

Damage to landmarks and hotels

There was a minor fire on the facade of the Burj al Arab hotel after a drone interception; Dubai's media office said: "Civil Defence teams responded immediately and brought the incident under control. No injuries have been reported. " Another luxury hotel in the city was damaged by fire earlier on Saturday, believed to have been caused by remnants from a falling missile. Aviation one of the terminals at a UAE airport had been damaged during an overnight Iranian attack.

Starmer, alongside Emmanuel Macron and Friedrich Merz, released a joint statement urging Iran to "refrain from indiscriminate military strikes" and calling for the Iranian leadership to seek a negotiated solution. The three leaders said: "We condemn Iranian attacks on countries in the region in the strongest terms. Iran must refrain from indiscriminate military strikes. We urge the Iranian leadership to seek a negotiated solution. Ultimately, the Iranian people must be allowed to determine their future. "

Sir Keir also warned the Iranian regime poses a direct threat in the UK, saying "Even in the United Kingdom, the Iranian regime poses a direct threat to dissidents and to the Jewish community" and adding that "Over the last year alone, they have backed more than 20 potentially lethal attacks on UK soil, " arguing Iran "must never be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon. "

As the situation evolves, the immediate focus of UK officials remains the safety of nationals in the region and the defence of allied facilities.