The aviation authority had briefly closed the country’s airspace as regional security risks escalated, after the defence ministry said it was responding to incoming aerial threats from Iran.

The suspension of air traffic was described by officials as a precautionary step amid rapidly evolving developments in the region. No timeline was provided for the duration of the closure, but operations were restored within hours once the situation stabilised.

Authorities did not disclose details on the scale or origin of the threats beyond confirming missile and drone activity, nor did they indicate any damage or casualties linked to the incident.

The General Civil Aviation Authority said the measures were implemented to ensure the safety of airspace users and aligned with standard protocols during security contingencies.

The reopening signals that risk levels were assessed to have subsided sufficiently for normal operations to resume.

The UAE is a major global aviation hub, and even brief airspace closures can affect regional and international flight schedules, though no specific disruptions were detailed in the official statements.

The incident comes amid heightened tensions in the Middle East, where cross-border threats involving drones and missiles have increasingly prompted rapid defensive responses and precautionary restrictions on civilian infrastructure, including aviation corridors.

Officials have not issued further advisories following the resumption of air traffic.

The Dubai Media Office said emergency services were dealing with the blaze after what it described as a “drone-related incident” near the airport. In a post on X, the office said authorities were taking necessary steps to secure the area and ensure public safety.

Videos circulating on social media showed a large column of smoke rising from the area near the airport, though officials did not immediately report casualties or provide details on the extent of the damage.

The attack occurred hours after Iran issued warnings calling for the evacuation of three major ports in the United Arab Emirates, signaling an expansion of threats to infrastructure in neighboring Gulf states.

Iranian officials accused the United States of using facilities in the UAE, including ports and docking areas, to launch strikes against Kharg Island, which hosts Iran’s primary oil export terminal.

Tehran did not provide evidence to support the allegation.

The drone strike comes amid an intensifying regional confrontation following the outbreak of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran on Feb. 28.Officials say Gulf Arab states have faced more than 2,000 missile and drone attacks since the conflict began, targeting U.S. diplomatic facilities, military bases and key civilian infrastructure including oil installations, ports, airports and commercial areas.

The UAE, which normalized relations with Israel in 2020 under the Abraham Accords, has experienced a significant share of the attacks, though governments across the Gulf have reported incidents and have condemned Iran over the strikes.

No injuries were reported and no arrests had been made as of Friday morning, police said, adding that the fire had been extinguished.

Police said the blaze began at about 3:40 a.m. local time.“Around 3:40 a.m., a fire was started at the synagogue,” Rotterdam police said in a post on X, noting that the flames burned briefly before being brought under control.

Authorities have appealed for witnesses or anyone with relevant information to come forward as investigators work to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident.

The fire comes days after another synagogue about 200 kilometres away in Belgium was struck by an explosion earlier this week, which authorities described as an antisemitic attack.

That incident caused property damage but no injuries.Separately, in the U.S. state of Michigan, a Lebanon-born American citizen drove a truck into a synagogue and its preschool before being shot dead, according to authorities.

Authorities and community groups have warned of rising risks to Jewish institutions worldwide following U.S. and Israeli airstrikes on Iran and Tehran’s subsequent response.

The Rotterdam investigation is ongoing as police seek to establish the motive and identify those responsible.

The ministry said it had summoned Iran’s ambassador in Bangkok to seek clarification on the circumstances surrounding the incident and to obtain details about the attack on the vessel.

In a statement, the Thai Foreign Ministry said it was requesting a formal explanation from Iranian authorities and pressing for an apology over the damage inflicted on the ship.

Officials said the projectile strike triggered a blaze on board, prompting the crew to evacuate the vessel for safety.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said in a statement carried by the Tasnim News Agency that the vessel had been “fired upon by Iranian fighters,” according to the report.

The statement did not provide further details about the circumstances that led to the strike.

The Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important maritime chokepoints for energy shipments, has come under heightened scrutiny amid rising tensions linked to the conflict involving Iran and its regional adversaries.

The incident involving the Thai vessel adds to growing concerns about risks to commercial shipping passing through the narrow waterway.

The ministry initially described the incident as a missile attack on the base but later said the strike appeared to involve a drone. Officials said the unmanned aircraft may have struck the facility accidentally after losing altitude rather than intentionally targeting the base.

“There are no casualties or injuries among the Italian personnel. They are all fine,” the ministry said in a statement posted shortly after midnight on the social media platform X.

Col. Stefano Pizzotti, the base commander, told Sky TG24 that troops had been warned of possible aerial threats hours before the incident and had taken shelter in bunkers ahead of the strike.

Pizzotti said it remained unclear where the strike originated. He added that although the air raid alert had ended, specialists were continuing to inspect and secure the area.

Italy maintains around 300 troops in Irbil tasked with training Kurdish security forces, according to information published by the defence ministry.

Pizzotti said troop numbers at the base had recently been reduced because of heightened security risks linked to the ongoing conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran in the wider region.

The Kurdistan region’s counter-terrorism service said late on Monday that it had shot down three drones over Irbil, with debris from one of the aircraft falling near the UAE consulate. Officials said no casualties were reported.

Saudi Arabia issued a statement through its foreign ministry expressing what it described as its strongest condemnation of the attack targeting the Emirati diplomatic mission.

The ministry said the targeting of diplomatic facilities was unacceptable and reaffirmed Riyadh’s support for measures aimed at maintaining security and stability in the region.

Earlier, the UAE’s foreign ministry said the incident represented a “dangerous escalation” and warned that such actions threaten regional stability.

The ministry said attacks on diplomatic missions and premises constitute a violation of international norms and laws governing the protection of diplomatic facilities.

The UAE urged the Kurdistan Regional Government to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident, identify those responsible and hold them accountable.

Security authorities in Irbil said the drones had been intercepted before causing casualties, though investigations into the origin of the aircraft and the intended targets were ongoing.

Emergency services responded to the site shortly after the impact, transporting the injured to nearby hospitals while security teams secured the surrounding neighborhood, according to officials familiar with the incident. The identities of the victims were not immediately released, and authorities did not specify the precise type or origin of the projectile.Local authorities said the injured were receiving medical treatment and that several sustained moderate wounds. Civil defense personnel also assessed structural damage to nearby homes and vehicles, which appeared to have been struck by debris from the blast.Investigation underwaySaudi security officials said an investigation had been launched to determine the trajectory and source of the projectile. Initial assessments focused on whether the strike was linked to ongoing regional hostilities that have periodically spilled across borders in recent years.Officials said forensic teams were examining fragments recovered from the site while military radar data was being reviewed to reconstruct the object’s path before impact.Residents in the area reported hearing a loud explosion that rattled windows and triggered panic among families before emergency crews arrived. Authorities urged the public to avoid the affected zone while investigators completed their work.Civilian areas exposed to regional tensionsThe incident comes amid heightened regional tensions that have periodically placed civilian infrastructure and residential districts at risk. Saudi Arabia has previously reported projectile and drone strikes targeting cities and energy facilities during periods of heightened conflict in the Middle East.Security analysts say such incidents highlight the vulnerability of populated areas to spillover from broader geopolitical confrontations. While Saudi air defense systems intercept many incoming threats, officials acknowledge that some projectiles can evade interception and cause casualties.Authorities reiterated that emergency response systems remain on high alert and that additional security assessments are being conducted in the aftermath of the strike.Medical teams continued treating the wounded late on Sunday while civil defense units cleared debris and inspected nearby buildings for potential structural hazards.