HIGHMILITARYVERIFIED
UAE MoD: air defences intercept 23 Iranian ballistic missiles and 56 drones on April 4
·United Arab Emirates
The UAE Ministry of Defence daily update confirmed that UAE air defences successfully engaged 23 ballistic missiles and 56 UAVs launched from Iran on April 4, making the UAE the primary target of Iran's GCC-directed retaliatory campaign on D36. All projectiles were intercepted.
The UAE Ministry of Defence released its daily update on April 4 stating that air defences successfully intercepted 23 ballistic missiles and 56 drones launched from Iran. Al Jazeera noted the UAE 'bore the brunt' of Iran's retaliatory attacks on GCC countries on D36. All 79 projectiles were engaged and destroyed. For cumulative context, Wikipedia's tracker (as of April 1) showed the UAE had by then intercepted 438 ballistic missiles and over 2,000 UAVs since the start of the conflict on February 28. The D36 figure of 23 BMs + 56 drones is consistent with the ongoing high-tempo Iranian campaign against UAE territory. Earlier D36 debris incidents — debris striking the Dubai Marina district and the Oracle building in Dubai Internet City — are linked to this broader intercept campaign; some interceptor debris and small residual fragments reach populated areas. UAE has not closed its airspace and continues to operate commercially.
UAEair defenceballistic missile interceptdrone interceptUAE MoDGCC
Actor responses
Iran fired 23 ballistic missiles and 56 drones at the UAE on April 4 — the largest single-day barrage against UAE, targeting a GCC state hosting US military bases.
US forces assist UAE air defence operations; no public comment on the April 4 scale of attack.
Sources
T1UAE Ministry of Defence daily update9% reliability