The president of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, said his country was well in a time of war and told his enemies that it was no easy prey, in his public comments since Iran launched missiles at its Gulf neighbour amid US-Israeli strikes.

“The UAE is attractive, but don’t be misled by the UAE’s appearance. The UAE has thick skin and bitter flesh – we are no easy prey," Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who is also ruler of Abu Dhabi, said in comments, made on Friday when visiting those injured in strikes, aired on Abu Dhabi TV on Saturday.

“We will carry out our duty towards our country, our people, and our residents who are also part of our family," he said. Al Nahyan also vowed that the UAE would protect everyone in the country.

#رئيس_الدولةيؤكد أن دولة#الإماراتتضع أمنها وسلامة شعبها والمقيمين فيها وزوارها في مقدمة أولوياتها، وسموّه يتوجه بالشكر للقوات المسلحة والأجهزة الأمنية والفرق الوطنية على جهودهم، مشيداً بوعي أفراد المجتمع من الإماراتيين والمقيمين الذين عبَّروا عن حبهم للدولة 🇦🇪pic.twitter.com/kHPdcvotyB— UAEGOV (@UAEmediaoffice)March 7, 2026

The UAE president made the remarks while visiting five civilians injured by the Iranian strikes in the hospital. One of the injured civilians was an Indian. “I promise everyone that we will emerge stronger than before, without doubt," he said.

After the US-Israeli attacks on February 28, Iran launched retaliatory missile and drone attacks, targeting US and Israeli infrastructure in other Gulf countries – including the UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and more.

The UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, Saudi Arabia and Iraq have all reported drone or missile attacks over the past week. On Saturday, the UAE defence ministry said that it ​destroyed 15 ballistic missiles and intercepted 119 drones from Iran, after several parts of the country – including Dubai – came under attack.

The Emirates airline briefly suspended flights to and from Dubai on Saturday, and Dubai authorities cited a “minor" incident resulting from a fall of debris after an interception, without saying where the incident happened.

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Source: World News in news18.com, World Latest News, World News