Iran live updates: Dubai airport resumes flights after drone fire incident

Escalating Tensions Between the U.S., Israel, and Iran

President Donald Trump announced “major combat operations” against Iran on February 28, with massive joint U.S.-Israel strikes targeting military and government sites, according to officials. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was among those killed in Tehran on the first day of strikes, and his son Mojtaba Khamenei was chosen to succeed him. In response, Iran is launching missile and drone attacks targeting Israel, regional U.S. bases, and multiple Gulf nations. Additionally, Iran is attempting to block some shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.

Israel is also intensifying its long-running strike campaign against the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia in Lebanon. The conflict continues to escalate, with both sides engaging in a series of military actions that have raised concerns about a broader regional war.

Latest Developments

Drone Attack in Fujairah, UAE

On March 16, a large fire caused by a drone strike was burning the area near the Fujairah Petroleum Industries in the United Arab Emirates, according to a statement by the Fujairah media office. No casualties were reported, and civil defense teams were responding to the incident.

Iran’s Internet Blackout

The near-total internet blackout in Iran entered its 17th day on Monday as it passed 384 hours, according to NetBlocks, a web monitoring organization. Over the last day, a decline has been tracked in reserved telecoms network infrastructure, further reducing VPN availability and sending some whitelisted users and NIN services offline.

Destruction of Former Ayatollah’s Plane

Israel said its military had destroyed a plane formerly used by Ali Khamenei, the late supreme leader, and other senior Iranian officials. The destruction of this plane damages the Iranian terrorist regime’s leadership coordination capabilities with the Axis countries, the process of strengthening military capabilities, and the regime’s ability to rebuild, according to the IDF.

The plane had been at Tehran’s Mehrabad International Airport, the IDF said.

Ground Operations in Lebanon

The Israel Defense Forces launched “limited and targeted” ground operations in southern Lebanon, targeting “key Hezbollah strongholds.” This activity is part of broader defensive efforts to establish and strengthen a forward defensive posture, which includes the dismantling of terrorist infrastructure and the elimination of terrorists operating in the area, to create an additional layer of security for residents of northern Israel.

Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani, an IDF spokesperson, said in a briefing that Israeli troops were operating in new areas farther into southern Lebanon. A week ago, the IDF said it had taken five “hardened positions” in Lebanon along Israel’s northern border with the country.

Shoshani said Hezbollah, an Iranian proxy, has fired around 1,000 rockets and drones at Israel over the past two weeks. He said Hezbollah was “expanding” its attacks into Israel and the IDF needed to respond. He reiterated Israel’s political goal that Hezbollah “cannot be an armed group” and echoed a phrase previously heard from Israel’s political leadership, saying that “one way or another” Israel is committed to achieving that goal.

Dubai Airport Resumes Flights

Dubai International Airport began resuming some flights on Monday morning after a drone impact had sparked a fire nearby, airport and city officials said. Dubai Airports confirmed the gradual resumption of some flights to and from Dubai International (DXB) to selected destinations, following the temporary suspension implemented as a precautionary measure.

The Dubai Media Office said hours earlier that authorities were responding to an incident involving a drone near the airport. Firefighters had been battling a blaze, the office said.

“Dubai Civil Defence teams have successfully contained the fire resulting from impact to one of the fuel tanks in the vicinity of Dubai International Airport,” the office said early on Monday on social media. “No injuries have been reported.”

Some flights were diverted to Al Maktoum International Airport, the office said.