Iran Denies Firing Ballistic Missiles at the UAE, Calls Emirati Accusation Baseless

Iran's Foreign Ministry rejected the United Arab Emirates' account that Iran launched ballistic missiles toward the country, with spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei calling the Emirati accusations baseless. Baghaei said such claims contradict the principle of good neighborliness and disrupt efforts to strengthen trust between regional states and prevent escalation, and he blamed what he described as malicious conduct by the United States and Israel. The Emirati Defense Ministry had said its air defenses detected two ballistic missiles fired from Iran, one falling outside Emirati territorial waters and one inside, both assessed as targeting maritime navigation. Abu Dhabi halted all trade, commercial exchanges and financial transactions with Iran after the launches.