Israel partially evacuates UAE embassy staff after 2 attempted Iranian terror attacks — official

Israel conducted a covert extraction of part of its embassy staff in the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday after two Iranian terror plots targeting the diplomatic team were foiled in recent days, an Israeli official told The Times of Israel, confirming Hebrew media reports.

The Foreign Ministry confirmed the evacuation, stating that “in light of concrete threats against Israeli missions in the UAE, and at the request of security authorities, non-essential staff were evacuated from the United Arab Emirates.”

“In both Abu Dhabi and Dubai, diplomatic teams remain in place to ensure the continued and uninterrupted handling of diplomatic and consular affairs,” the ministry added.

The Israeli official who spoke to The Times of Israel confirmed that the threats in question were Iranian terror plots.

A senior Israeli official told Channel 12 news that the two attacks were part of “a specific effort to hunt the Israeli diplomats” and “were already underway.”

Thousands of Israelis remain in the UAE, including tourists whose flights were canceled, Israeli residents and Israelis holding foreign citizenship, many of whom were said to be seeking immediate assistance from Emirati and Israeli authorities to exit the country amid the heightened tensions with Iran.

The Foreign Ministry told the Ynet news site that “similar to past cases,” the Transportation Ministry and “relevant security figures” were responsible for ensuring the safe return of the Israelis.

“These figures are holding a security assessment regarding the safest paths of return,” the Foreign Ministry added. “The return [of Israelis] must be safe, and decision-makers have the full picture before them. Foreign Ministry representatives are in touch with Israelis in Dubai and helping them as much as possible.”

Since the start of the war on Saturday, the UAE has been targeted by more than 800 drones and 200 missiles, according to its defense ministry.

The US and Israel launched the fighting on Saturday with a strike on Tehran that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several more senior Iranian figures, followed by days of air and missile raids aimed at weakening the remaining government.

Iran’s armed forces responded with missile and drone attacks on Israel, US embassies, military bases and on its Arab neighbors around the Gulf.

According to Axios, the UAE was considering taking the unprecedented step of joining the strikes on Iran in response to the Iranian drone and missile attacks, though Abu Dhabi later issued a statement through its WAM state news agency asserting that it “has not taken any decision to alter its defensive posture in response to the repeated Iranian attacks.”

“The UAE reiterates that it is not a party to this war and has not permitted the use of its territory, territorial waters, or airspace for any attack against Iran, consistent with its long-standing policy of good neighborliness, de-escalation, and its firm commitment to the Charter of the United Nations,” the statement said.

“Furthermore, the UAE underscores that it retains its legitimate right to self-defense, as recognized under international law and the Charter of the United Nations,” it continued.

“The UAE further stresses the importance of journalistic responsibility and the need to rely on official, credible sources before publishing or circulating inaccurate or misleading reports,” the statement added, while notably not denying the Axios report outright.

Agencies contributed to this report.