Iran claims drone attack on UAE’s Al Minhad base

DUBAI/TEHRAN: Iran has widened its retaliation against US forces in the region, claiming its military carried out a drone attack on the Al Minhad Air Base in the United Arab Emirates after Washington struck Iranian positions on Larak Island.

The Iranian army said the drones targeted areas of the UAE base where US military personnel and helicopters were stationed. The claim was reported by Iranian state media, while independent confirmation of damage or casualties was not immediately available.

Iran said the operation was carried out in response to the US attack on Larak Island, where Iranian authorities reported casualties among Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps personnel and civilians.

The latest claim follows an Iranian missile attack on US military facilities in Jordan. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said it had targeted the King Hussein and Al Azraq bases with ballistic missiles, describing the strikes as retaliation for the American operation.

Jordan, however, said its air-defence systems intercepted eight missiles that entered its airspace. The Jordanian military said the missiles were destroyed before posing a threat to civilians or property.

The United States had said its strikes on Larak Island were intended to stop Iranian forces from preparing to deploy sea mines in the strategically important Strait of Hormuz. Washington described the operation as limited and aimed at protecting commercial shipping.

Iran has rejected that explanation and warned that further military aggression would receive a decisive response.

The Revolutionary Guards have also claimed that Iranian air-defence systems shot down a US MQ-9 drone over the Strait of Hormuz. The claim could not immediately be independently verified.

The rapid expansion of the confrontation from Larak Island to Jordan and the UAE has raised fears of a broader regional escalation. The Strait of Hormuz remains at the centre of the crisis because it is a crucial route for global energy shipments.

With both sides maintaining sharply different accounts of the latest attacks, the region is now facing renewed uncertainty over whether the confrontation will remain limited or develop into a wider conflict.