False alarm: Dubai residents receive missile alert, told to 'disregard' it minutes later

Residents in Dubai received an incoming missile alert on Friday, only to be told shortly afterward to “disregard” the warning.The brief text message from the UAE’s Interior Ministry, sent shortly after 5:15 pm local time, was the first such alert issued during the Iran war.Authorities later attributed the alert to a “technical malfunction” that triggered the error.“The issue has been addressed and specialised teams have begun corrective procedures to ensure service continuity and minimise any impact,” the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority said.Iran had repeatedly targeted US interests and allies in the Middle East during the conflict. Several countries in the region, including the UAE, host US military bases.Shortly after the alert, UAE foreign minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan spoke by phone with his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi. According to the UAE, Sheikh Abdullah stressed the importance of “full commitment” to the interim agreement between Iran and the United States.“Serious diplomacy and responsible dialogue are the optimal path for addressing all regional and international crises,” the UAE said in a statement.The United States and Iran are still negotiating terms of the interim peace deal, including issues such as getting ships through the Strait of Hormuz and addressing the future of Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium. Under the interim deal, the two sides have 60 days to work out the details.(With agency inputs)