Dubai Airport Hit as UK jets carry out defensive missions in Middle East
The story of a dubai airport hit unfolded as wider strikes and counterstrikes across the region disrupted travel and prompted a UK response that the prime minister said included British planes “in the sky” on defensive missions. The developments have produced casualties at Emirati airports and widespread flight cancellations affecting the Gulf and beyond.
Starmer spoke to Donald Trump after US‑Israel strikes on Iranian cities
The prime minister spoke to US President Donald Trump after the US and Israel launched strikes across several Iranian cities, including the capital Tehran. Sir Keir Starmer reiterated in the call 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" and said protections for British bases and personnel had been stepped up to their highest level.
Starmer released a joint statement with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Saturday urging Iran to "refrain from indiscriminate military strikes" and earlier the three leaders had urged Iran to "refrain from its destabilising activity in the region and our homelands, and to cease the appalling violence and repression against its own people. " They added: "We urge the Iranian leadership to seek a negotiated solution. Ultimately, the Iranian people must be allowed to determine their future. "
RAF jets and deployments from Qatar and Cyprus
Sir Keir said RAF fighter jets were flying "in the sky today" to defend allies after the strikes. The UK did not participate in the first waves of strikes on Saturday morning and had no immediate intention of doing so, but fighter jets were running defensive operations 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 military facilities. An extra six F‑35s and additional air defence, radar and counter‑drone systems were deployed to the RAF Akrotiri airbase in Cyprus, from where they could be deployed to defend Israel, Jordan or other countries in the Middle East.
US‑Israeli campaign, Iranian counterattacks and UK warnings
The US and Israel launched strikes after negotiations to limit Iran's nuclear programme ended without a deal, and have started a campaign described as aimed at regime change in Iran and the bombing of nuclear and missile sites. Iran launched an immediate counterattack, including strikes on Israel and Jordan as well as on US bases in Bahrain, Qatar, United Arab Emirates and Kuwait.
Sir Keir condemned Iran's retaliatory attacks "on partners across the region", calling them "indiscriminate" and warning that many countries attacked were "not parties to this conflict. " He warned that "even in the United Kingdom, the Iranian regime poses a direct threat to dissidents and to the Jewish community" and said: "Over the last year alone, they have backed more than 20 potentially lethal attacks on UK soil. " Iran's Supreme National Security Council has promised a "crushing" response to the US‑Israeli attacks.
A government spokesperson said that "Iran must never be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon" and that the immediate priority was the safety of UK nationals, with consular assistance available 24/7. The spokesperson added that the UK had a range of defensive capabilities in the region which had been recently bolstered and that it stood ready to protect its interests while seeking to avoid escalation into a wider regional conflict. Earlier on Saturday, Starmer chaired a meeting of the government’s emergency Cobra committee to discuss the UK response.
Dubai Airport Hit: deaths, injuries and terminal damage in the UAE
One person has died and seven were injured after an "incident" at Abu Dhabi's Zayed airport, while four people were hurt at Dubai International. A post by Abu Dhabi Airports said the incident "resulted in one fatality involving an Asian national and 7 injuries" but did not give a cause and urged against "circulating rumours. "
The Dubai incident left four staff with injuries when a concourse sustained "minor damage", the city's media office said. Aviation one of the terminals had been damaged during an overnight Iranian attack. Flights from both airports were grounded on Saturday as a precaution.
Separately, four people were injured after an "incident" at a building in the Palm Jumeirah area of Dubai, with eyewitness images showing a plume of smoke near the Fairmont The Palm hotel.
Hotel fires, flight cancellations and Foreign Office advice
There was a minor fire on the façade of the Burj al Arab hotel as a result of a drone interception; the city'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 also damaged by fire earlier on Saturday, believed to have been caused by remnants from a falling missile.
Flights to and from the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Israel and Bahrain were among those cancelled, and the situation has caused major disruption to air travel and security in the region, with hundreds of thousands of Britons potentially affected. 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 warned UK citizens 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. It urged UK citizens to sign up to Register Your Presence and travel advice emails so the Foreign Office can send them information.
