Dubai hotel fire appears to be caused by Iranian strike; injuries reported

Four people were injured in a hotel fire in Palm Jumeirah area of Dubai after a loud explosion was reportedly heard as the Iranian regime launched retaliatory strikes in the Middle East.

The Dubai Media Office, a government entity, said in a statement Saturday that the site was secured and the fire had been contained.

"The safety and wellbeing of residents and visitors remain the highest priority. Authorities continue to take all necessary measures to safeguard the public. The public is urged to remain calm, rely solely on verified information from official sources, and refrain from circulating videos or images on social media," the media office wrote on X.

Dubai authorities confirmed that "an incident" occurred in a building in the Palm Jumeirah area and emergency response teams responded, although they did not elaborate on what caused the incident.

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Reports suggest United Arab Emirates forces intercepted an Iranian air attack in retaliation for U.S. forces conducting Operation Epic Fury against Iran.

Iran's retaliation against the U.S. and Israel's attacks has been focused on Israel and U.S. assets in the Middle East. Explosions have reportedly been heard in several countries hosting U.S. forces, including Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait and Jordan.

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Many Gulf states condemned Iran's retaliatory strikes on their territories and affirmed solidarity with their neighbors in the region.

Qatar's Foreign Ministry said it reserves its "full right" to defend itself after what it described as Iranian aggression targeting Qatari territory, while Saudi Arabia's Foreign Ministry warned of "grave consequences resulting from the continued violation of states’ sovereignty and the principles of international law."

The United Arab Emirates' Ministry of Defense said the country "was subjected to a blatant attack involving Iranian ballistic missiles," adding that air defense systems "successfully intercepted a number of missiles." It stated the UAE "reserves its full right to respond."