Iran-Backed Drone Barrage Targets US Assets in Iraq, UAE as Regional War Intensifies

Iran-backed forces launched coordinated drone attacks across the Middle East on Tuesday, targeting the US Consulate in Erbil, the US Embassy in Baghdad, and critical oil infrastructure in the United Arab Emirates, as the 18-day-old conflict shows no signs of abating .

Multiple explosions were heard late Tuesday near the US Consulate and in the Serbesti neighborhood in Erbil, the capital of Iraq's Kurdistan region. Air defense systems were activated amid an attack involving suicide drones, with local media reporting that the drones were intercepted and neutralized . The Erbil International Airport area, which houses a US military base, was also targeted. There has been no immediate statement from the Kurdistan Regional Government on the incident.

In Baghdad, rockets and at least five drones were launched at the heavily fortified US Embassy compound from areas around the city early Tuesday, Iraqi security sources said, describing the attack as the most intense since the conflict began on February 28 . A separate drone attack targeted the Victoria military base near Baghdad International Airport, with no immediate reports of casualties, according to an Iraqi Interior Ministry source .

The United Arab Emirates came under renewed attack as a drone strike sparked a fire at an oil tank farm in Fujairah, an emirate on the country's east coast along the Gulf of Oman . The attack follows previous strikes on UAE infrastructure and prompted the General Civil Aviation Authority to announce the temporary closure of UAE airspace as an exceptional precautionary measure to ensure flight safety .

The coordinated attacks demonstrate Iran's ability to strike US assets and Gulf infrastructure simultaneously across multiple theaters, despite sustaining significant damage to its air defense systems in the opening days of the conflict. Iran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries hosting US military assets since the US-Israeli strikes began on February 28, which reportedly killed around 1,300 people including former Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei .

The explosions in Erbil have been reported daily since Iran began retaliatory actions, with air defense systems frequently engaged . In Kuwait, two medical staff members were injured Tuesday after debris fell onto an ambulance center, with authorities launching an investigation into the cause. Kuwait's National Guard earlier reported intercepting two drones within its areas of responsibility .

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani on Tuesday reiterated his government's opposition to any attack on oil fields and diplomatic missions, warning of the escalating conflict's impact on regional stability. In a phone call with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, al-Sudani noted that Iraq has been directly affected by repeated attacks and violations of its airspace