Missile debris kills one in Abu Dhabi as Iran attacks on Gulf persist, Pezeshkian slams US-Israeli war

At least one person was killed in the UAE on Tuesday after being hit by falling debris from an intercepted missile, as Iran's attacks on the Gulf continue.

The incident took place in the city’s Bani Yas area of Abu Dhabi, with the emirate's media office confirming that the victim was a Pakistani national.

It comes after a Palestinian national was killed on Monday after a missile hit his car in the same area.

The latest incident brings the death toll in the UAE since the start of the Israeli and US war on Iran to eight, including six civilians and two military personnel who were killed in a helicopter accident.

Also on Tuesday, the oil industrial zone of Fujairah was targeted for the second day in a row, after a drone strike caused a fire but no injuries, local authorities said.

The facility was already hit on Monday, with video footage showing sizable plumes of smoke billowing from the scene.

The Fujairah industrial zone, situated on the Gulf of Oman, enables the UAE to bypass the Strait of Hormuz for certain exports.

This came after the UAE briefly closed its airspace in the early hours of Tuesday as a precautionary measure, amid warnings of incoming missile and drone threats from Iran.

In Kuwait, the health ministry said two medical emergency staff were injured after debris fell on an ambulance centre. The two are in stable condition, according to the ministry.

Meanwhile, in Qatar, authorities confirmed that a missile attack was intercepted, and that civil defence staff were dealing with a "limited fire" caused by falling shrapnel. No injuries have been reported, however.

Saudi authorities also reported multiple missile interceptions on Tuesday.

Following the outbreak of the US and Israeli assault on Iran on 28 February, Tehran has launched daily attacks on Gulf states, including rocket and drone strikes on civilian infrastructure, despite these countries not taking part in the war.

About 15 civilians have been killed in Iranian strikes on Gulf states, while a number of service personnel have also been killed.

The attacks by Iran have been unanimously condemned by the Gulf Arab states, who have called on Tehran to halt its attacks, whilst encouraging dialogue.

Pezeshkian issues scathing statement amid Israel-US escalation 

In Iran, tensions are still high amid the US and Israel’s continued assault on the country, killing multiple civilians and damaging infrastructure.

At least 1,444 people have been killed since 28 February, including civilians, military leaders, and government officials.

Israeli media said on Tuesday that it killed the leader of the Basij paramilitary force, Gholamreza Soleimani, in a "precise strike" on Tehran on Monday.

Israel also said it killed national security chief Ali Larijani in another strike on Monday. Iranian authorities have yet to confirm this, although they have not also provided 'proof of life'.

Further in their assault, the US and Israel have damaged over 50 museums, historical, and cultural sites, the country's heritage ministry said, at least 19 of these located in and near Tehran.

In the face of the US and Israeli aggression, President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tehran "will not surrender to bullies", calling for more international condemnation of the war.

In a conversation on Monday with his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, Pezeshkian stressed that Iran "did not start this brutal war".

"Defence against aggression is a natural right that we know how to exercise," he said on X.

He then called for the US to stop its use of American military bases in the Gulf to attack Iran, and called the assault "based on false information with the aim of territorial conquest", and a "medieval act of the twenty-first century". 

"Peace and stability cannot be achieved by ignoring the Zionist-American aggression against our country. The Islamic Republic of Iran will not submit to bullies," he added.

It is unclear if the US is using its bases in the Gulf to launch attacks on Iran, despite Tehran's claims, with some countries outright denying this.

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi denied any recent direct contact with US envoy Steve Witkoff, stating that their last contact was before the US-Israeli attack on Iran.

Araghchi said on X on Monday evening: "My last contact with Witkoff was before the decision by his employer to end diplomacy by launching another illegal military attack on Iran," adding that "any claim to the contrary appears to be aimed solely at misleading oil traders and the public."

This comes after the US news website Axios, citing a US official and a source familiar with the matter, reported on Monday that Witkoff and Araghchi had been in direct communication in recent days.

The report said the two had exchanged messages focused on ending the war, without specifying their content or number. The report stated that these communications would represent the first known direct contact between the two sides since the war began more than two weeks ago.

A US official stated that the contact originated from the Iranian side, despite confirming that Washington "is not talking" to Tehran. Following Araghchi’s denial, the US official claimed that the top diplomat was "lying" and that he initiated contact with the American side.