Drones strike near Dubai airport, ships hit as Iran presses on with attacks

There was no letup in the war on Wednesday as drones reportedly struck near Dubai International Airport, and ships were hit around the Strait of Hormuz as Iran kept up its military campaign that’s disrupting oil markets and air and maritime traffic.

At least four people were injured on the ground near the Dubai airport. While the initial reports did not specifically say if the injuries were caused by falling debris or a result of a direct hit, the UAE-based The National reported that the two drones were launched from Iran.

The UAE military says Iran has fired more than 1,400 drones since hostilities broke out on February 28 following the US‑Israeli offensive on Tehran.

The oil-rich Gulf has borne the brunt of Iran's attacks in response to US-Israeli strikes that sparked the Middle East war, with Tehran targeting US assets but also civilian infrastructure.

Iran has also targeted Gulf energy infrastructure and choked shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, which normally carries nearly 20 percent of global oil production, prompting wild swings in prices.

Three vessels were hit by unknown projectiles in the Strait of Hormuz, maritime security agencies said on Wednesday, as one of the strikes resulted in a fire onboard a ship and forced most of its crew to evacuate it.

The Thailand-flagged bulk carrier Mayuree Naree was attacked approximately 11 nautical miles north of Oman, two maritime security sources said.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said later, referring to the incident, that the fire had been extinguished and that there was no environmental impact.

The necessary crew remained on the vessel.

Earlier, the Japan-flagged container ship One Majesty had sustained minor damage from an unknown projectile 25 nautical miles (46 km) northwest of Ras Al Khaimah in the United Arab Emirates, two maritime security sources said.

Its crew members are safe, and the vessel is sailing towards a safe anchorage, the sources added.

A third vessel, a bulk carrier, was also hit by an unknown projectile approximately 50 miles northwest of Dubai, maritime security firms said.

The projectile had damaged the hull of the Marshall Islands-flagged Star Gwyneth, maritime risk management company Vanguard said, adding that the vessel's crew were safe.

Trump has said the US Navy could accompany tankers through the strait, but his administration acknowledged that a post by his energy secretary, which briefly reassured markets by announcing a first such escort, was untrue.

Airport hit

Two drones struck near Dubai International Airport (DXB) on Wednesday, injuring four people, the Dubai Media Office reported.

The office said the incident caused minor injuries to two Ghanaian nationals and one Bangladeshi national, while an Indian national sustained moderate injuries.

Air traffic at Dubai International Airport continues to operate as normal, it added.

Saudi Arabia intercepted drones targeting the Shaybah field, crucial to its production, while explosions rang out over Qatar and the UAE reported fresh attacks.

Saudi Arabia also said it intercepted seven ballistic missiles targeting its eastern region and the Prince Sultan Air Base, where an American service member was fatally wounded on March 1.

Tehran appears to be attempting to knock major Gulf refineries offline while also tightening its chokehold on the strait in a quest to inflict maximum pain on the global economy.

In the past few days, Saudi Aramco's sprawling Ras Tanura facility, home to one of the Middle East's largest refineries, was targeted as well as the UAE's Ruwais refinery – one of the largest in the world.

Iranian attacks have already forced state-owned QatarEnergy, one of the world's largest producers of liquefied natural gas, to halt production last week and declare force majeure.

Energy producers in Kuwait made similar declarations, a warning that events beyond their control may lead them to miss export targets.