Qatar and UAE deny they are short of interceptors, as Gulf states down hundreds of Iranian missiles

Qatar and the UAE have denied they are short of interceptor missiles needed to down Iranian projectiles, following reports claiming the Gulf militaries had just a few days' worth of ammunition.

Both Gulf states strongly denied claims in a Bloomberg article that they had requested assistance from allies due to being overwhelmed by the hundreds of drones and missiles being fired by Iran at Doha, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and other cities.

The report alleged that Qatar has just four days' worth of Patriot interceptors and had asked for help to counter drone strikes, while the UAE wants medium-range air defence support, a claim rejected on Tuesday by Abu Dhabi and Doha.

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs categorically rejects the false and misleading claims published by Bloomberg regarding the United Arab Emirates’ advanced defensive capabilities. These assertions are unfounded and misrepresent the UAE’s high level of preparedness, technological sophistication, and operational readiness. The Ministry underscores the importance of responsible journalism and the need to verify information with official sources before publishing inaccurate reports," the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.

"The UAE possesses diverse, integrated, and multi-layered air defense systems capable of countering a full spectrum of aerial threats with high efficiency. These long-, medium-, and short-range systems provide comprehensive protection of the nation’s airspace.

"The UAE also maintains a robust strategic stockpile of munitions, ensuring sustained interception and response capabilities over extended periods, while preserving full operational readiness to safeguard national security and sovereignty."

Qatar, which has downed two SU-24 fighter jets, three cruise missiles, 98 ballistic missiles, and 24 drones, also said it has enough stockpiles to cope with the Iranian assault, with only three missiles and 15 drones making their way through the country's air defence umbrella.

"The Qatar Armed Forces have repeatedly demonstrated their capability to defend the nation against external threats and remain at full readiness to protect all citizens, residents, and visitors for as long as necessary," Qatar’s International Media Office said.

"[Our] inventory of Patriot interceptor missiles held by the Qatar Armed Forces has not been depleted and remains well-stocked."

The UAE has said it has downed 172 of 186 missiles and 755 of 812 drones launched by Iran, and the Emirati spokesperson also said on Tuesday that the country has ample stockpiles of air defences to ward off the Iranian assault.

Iran has over 2,000 ballistic missiles capable of reaching the Gulf, with as many as three interceptors from the Patriot or Thaad air systems needed to down one projectile, with Fabian Hoffmann, a missile expert at the University of Oslo, telling The Wall Street Journal that due to this, supplies from GCC nations could be depleted in a week.