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Jaishankar, UAE FM Discuss West Asia Crisis Amid Iranian Missile Barrage

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar held a telephonic conversation with UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan to exchange views on the escalating West Asia situation. The discussion comes as the UAE's air defences engaged a significant barrage of Iranian ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones, resulting in casualties. The UAE defence ministry reported injuries among individuals of numerous nationalities, including Indians, following these attacks. Concurrently, the UK conducted defensive air sorties in the region, and former US President Donald Trump indicated Iran has reached out for a deal.

Key Points: Jaishankar Talks West Asia with UAE FM as Iran Attacks Escalate

  • Jaishankar-UAE FM call on West Asia
  • UAE intercepts Iranian missiles & drones
  • Multi-national casualties include Indians
  • UK jets fly sorties in region
  • Trump says Iran seeking deal
2 min read

EAM Jaishankar discusses West Asia situation with UAE FM

EAM S Jaishankar discusses regional situation with UAE's Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan amid major Iranian missile & drone attacks on UAE causing international casualties.

"UAE air defence systems engaged 4 ballistic missiles and 6 UAVs - UAE Ministry of Defence"

New Delhi, March 15

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday held a telephonic conversation with the Foreign Minister of the United Arab Emirates, Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

Jaishankar said he discussed the West Asia situation with Nahyan.

In a post on X, he said, "Spoke last night to DPM & FM Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan of UAE. Exchanged views on various aspects of the regional situation."

Meanwhile, in an operational update, the UK Ministry of Defence flew its sorties in several nations across the Middle East, including the UAE.

In a post on X, it said, "Overnight, Typhoon and F-35 jets, supported by Voyager air-to-air refuelling, have flown sorties in defence of British interests and allies across Qatar, Cyprus, UAE, Jordan, and Bahrain."

Meanwhile, the UAE said that its "air defenses are dealing with Iranian ballistic and cruise missiles and drones."

The UAE Ministry of defence also said that Indian nationals are also among the injured.

"UAE air defence systems engaged 4 ballistic missiles and 6 UAVs on 15th March 2026 coming from Iran. Since the start of the blatant Iranian attacks, UAE air defences have engaged 298 ballistic missiles, 15 cruise missiles and 1,606 UAVs," it said.

"These attacks resulted in the death of 6 people of Emirati, Pakistani, Nepali and Bangladeshi nationalities, and 142 minor to moderate injuries among individuals of Emirati, Egyptian, Sudanese, Ethiopian, Filipino, Pakistani, Iranian, Indian, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan, Azerbaijani, Yemeni, Ugandan, Eritrean, Lebanese, Afghan, Bahraini, Comorian, Turkish, Iraqi, Nepali, Nigerian, Omani, Jordanian, Palestinian, Ghanaian, Indonesian and Swedish nationalities," it added.

US President Donald Trump, meanwhile, said that Iranians have reached out to him for a deal, but that the terms "aren't good enough yet," as reported by Al Jazeera.

On Saturday, it was reported that a drone strike had targeted the Fujairah Port in the UAE, triggering a fire.

A well-informed Gulf analyst confirmed that the Iranian attack on Fujairah caused a fire from falling debris after the successful interception of a drone by UAE air defence systems, with no injuries reported.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

R
Rahul R
The scale of attacks is staggering - 298 ballistic missiles intercepted! This shows how volatile the region is. India's diplomacy is crucial. We have strong ties with both the Gulf nations and Iran. A delicate balancing act for MEA.
D
David E
The list of nationalities affected reads like a UN roll call. This conflict has truly globalized consequences. The UK and US involvement mentioned here complicates things further. Hope diplomacy prevails.
A
Aditya G
Our Gulf diaspora is our strength, but also a vulnerability in times like these. Crores of remittances and lakhs of families depend on stability there. Jaishankar Sahab needs to keep engaging with all sides. Shanti ki zaroorat hai.
S
Sneha F
While I appreciate the updates, I wish our media and officials would provide more specific information about the well-being of the injured Indians. "Minor to moderate injuries" covers a wide range. Families are worried.
K
Karan T
The UAE's air defence seems very capable. But the fact that attacks are so frequent is alarming. Fujairah port is critical for global trade, including for India. Any disruption there hits our economy too.

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