At least one person has died and four others injured after debris from intercepted missiles and drones sparked fires at the Habshan gas facility in the United Arab Emirates. The Abu Dhabi Media Office confirmed that the blazes erupted following the successful activation of air defence systems, which shot down multiple incoming projectiles. The deceased was identified as an Egyptian national who died during evacuation efforts, while the injured included two Egyptians and two Pakistanis, all sustaining minor wounds. The facility, the UAE's largest natural gas processing site, sustained significant damage, with assessments still underway.
Emirati officials reported that within a 24-hour period, Iran launched at least 18 ballistic missiles, four cruise missiles, and 47 drones toward UAE territory. Al Jazeera correspondent Resul Serdar described the volume of attacks as one of the most intense the country has faced in recent days. The surge follows Iran's broader regional retaliation after the United States and Israel initiated military action against it on February 28. In response, the Gulf Cooperation Council's Secretary-General Jassim al-Budaiwi urged the UN Security Council to take decisive steps to halt Iran's assaults and protect critical maritime routes. He specifically called for safeguarding navigation through strategic waterways, referencing the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian actions have disrupted traffic in the strait, a vital conduit for about 20 percent of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas, contributing to sharp increases in global energy prices.
When Jassim al-Budaiwi demands UN intervention to secure maritime routes, he is acknowledging that regional security can no longer be managed by Gulf states alone. The fact that Iran can launch nearly 70 projectiles in a single day and paralyze a chokepoint handling one-fifth of global oil flows reveals a dangerous erosion of deterrence. This isn't just an Emirati crisis — it's a global energy flashpoint where disrupted supply lines will keep price shocks rolling across markets. Any nation dependent on seaborne energy, including Nigeria, will feel the strain the longer the strait remains under threat.
