Attack on the U.S. Consulate in Dubai; Gulf States on High Alert to Respond to Iran

Drone strikes hit the United States Consulate in Dubai amid an escalation in the confrontation between the United States, Israel and Iran, broadening tensions to several Gulf states and parts of Europe. The Dubai Media Office said the incident triggered a fire in the vicinity of the consulate, which emergency response teams quickly brought under control. ‘Dubai authorities have confirmed that the fire resulting from the drone-related incident near the U.S. Consulate has been extinguished,’ the office said in a post on social media on Tuesday, 3 March. ‘Emergency teams responded promptly. No injuries were reported,’ it added.

Earlier, a United States diplomatic facility was attacked in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia. The strike damaged the building but caused no casualties.

The series of attacks comes amid the widening conflict between the United States, Israel and Iran. Tehran has been reported to continue targeting U.S. interests in the region after joint U.S.-Israel strikes hit Tehran and several other cities on Saturday, 28 February.

The conflict is spreading with impacts reaching several Gulf states and Europe. Explosions have been reported in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Iraq.

Attacks are also said to have targeted British military bases in Cyprus. The incident occurred not long after Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer authorised the United States to use British bases to launch strikes against Iran.

Several Gulf and European states responded to the incidents within their regions by emphasising their right to defend themselves. They signalled possible retaliatory steps against Iran, which they view as violating territorial sovereignty.

With tensions rising, attention has also been drawn to Russia and China. The two nations, long-time allies of Iran, have condemned the US-Israel strikes but have so far shown no concrete actions in response to the regional escalation.