Iran and IRGC declare UAE ports legitimate targets — urge civilians to evacuate UAE port areas
·United Arab Emirates (Jebel Ali / Abu Dhabi ports region)
Iran's military central operational command (Khatam Al-Anbiya) warned on Saturday that it considers UAE ports, docks, and US military installations legitimate targets, citing the right to strike 'American enemy missiles located in ports, docks and US military hideouts' in the UAE. The IRGC separately issued the same warning via Reuters, urging UAE residents to evacuate port areas, docks, and US military shelters. The warning directly threatens the UAE's commercial shipping infrastructure, including Jebel Ali — the busiest port in the Middle East and a critical hub for global trade. It follows the Kharg Island strike and represents Iran's most direct threat to UAE civilian and commercial infrastructure since the war began.
Iran's military central operational command, known as Khatam Al-Anbiya, declared on Saturday that it considers UAE ports, docks, and US military installations in the United Arab Emirates to be legitimate military targets, Iranian state TV reported. The statement said Tehran 'considers it its legitimate right to defend its national sovereignty and territory by striking American enemy missiles located in ports, docks and US military hideouts' in the UAE, and urged civilians to avoid these areas.
The IRGC issued a parallel statement through its channels, carried by Reuters, that 'US interests in the UAE, including ports, docks and military locations, are legitimate targets after US forces attacked Iranian islands.' The IRGC specifically urged UAE residents to 'evacuate ports, docks, and US military shelters to avoid civilian casualties' — a pattern consistent with pre-strike warnings Iran has issued before previous Gulf state attacks.
The warning directly threatens some of the most critical commercial infrastructure in the global economy. Jebel Ali port in Dubai is the largest port in the Middle East and one of the world's busiest container terminals. Abu Dhabi hosts major oil export infrastructure at Port Zayed and Ruwais. A successful strike on any of these facilities would cause immediate disruption to global shipping lanes, container flows, and oil exports — compounding the existing Hormuz blockade shock.
Iran's framing — 'American enemy missiles in UAE ports' — refers to US THAAD batteries, Patriot systems, and naval assets that have been deployed across UAE bases and ports as part of the US military buildup. The UAE hosts Al Dhafra Air Base and has been a staging point for US aerial operations. Iran's warning reframes UAE commercial ports as extensions of US military basing — providing justification for strikes that would functionally be attacks on civilian trade infrastructure.
The warning comes just hours after US forces struck Kharg Island and Trump threatened to strike Iranian oil infrastructure if Hormuz remains blocked. Iran's UAE port warning is the counter-threat: if US strikes Iran's oil export infrastructure, Iran will strike the commercial port infrastructure through which the Gulf states conduct their own trade — a regional economic warfare escalation ladder.
Iran's military has the right to strike American military assets wherever they are located in the region. UAE ports hosting US missiles and military equipment are legitimate targets. We urge civilians to evacuate these areas for their safety.
US military assets in UAE ports, docks and facilities are legitimate targets of IRGC operations. The UAE leadership must choose: remove American weapons from your territory or bear responsibility for what follows.
Iran's threats against UAE civilian and commercial infrastructure are reckless and unacceptable. The United States will defend its partners in the region. Any attack on UAE ports will be met with a decisive response.
Iran's escalation to threatening Gulf commercial ports demonstrates the bankruptcy of its strategic position. US and Israeli forces stand ready to respond to any attack on partner state infrastructure.
Iran's threats against the UAE are consistent with Iran's use of civilian populations as shields and commercial infrastructure as leverage. Israel stands with its Gulf partners.