Dubai, UAE News Live Updates: US deploys Marines to Middle East as Trump says US is close to meeting war goals
A Middle East Airlines plane takes off from Rafik Hariri International Airport as smoke rises from the site of an Israeli airstrike in Dahiyeh, Beirut’s southern suburbs, Lebanon. (Source: AP Photo)
Dubai, UAE, Abu Dhabi, Iran War News Live Updates: Around 2,500 US Marines and the USS Boxer are set to deploy to the Middle East, though their roles remain unclear. Officials told Reuters that no decision has been made on sending troops into Iran. President Donald Trump said the US is close to meeting its war objectives and could soon scale down military operations. These objectives include preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons. He also criticised NATO allies for not supporting efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, accusing them of cowardice.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine has deployed over 200 experts to help Gulf nations counter Iranian drones. The move leverages Ukraine’s experience against Iran-supplied Shahed drones used by Russia since 2022. With a 90% interception success rate, Kyiv is sharing cost-effective drone defence tactics with the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait.
Story continues below this ad
Kuwaiti petroleum refinery targeted:A Kuwaiti petroleum refinery was targeted by Iranian drones on Friday morning. In a second wave of strikes, the Mina Al-Ahmadi oil refinery was hit, leading to a fire outbreak in several of its units. The refinery is estimated to process around 730,000 barrels of oil per day. Saudi Arabia shot down multiple Iranian drones that aimed at the country’s Eastern Province oil reserve. The Defence Ministry spokesperson confirmed that three drones were intercepted by the Saudi air defences on Friday morning, while around 10 were destroyed on different occasions over the past several hours.
Terror network dismantled: The UAE administration said it has dismantled a “terrorist network” funded by Lebanon’s Hezbollah and Iran on Friday. Five members from the network have been arrested. The network, while threatening national security, was involved in money laundering and terrorism financing under a fictitious commercial cover. As per the state news agency, the network breached several economic and legal regulations. There has been no immediate response from Hezbollah or Iran.
“The network had been operating within the country under a fictitious commercial cover and sought to infiltrate the national economy and carry out external schemes threatening the country’s financial stability,” said the UAE state news agency.
Live Updates
Stay updated with the latest – Click here to follow us on Instagram
© IE Online Media Services Pvt Ltd
