Indian among 58 injured as 3 dead in UAE in Iranian strikes

An Indian national was among 58 people injured in Iranian missile strikes across the United Arab Emirates over the past two days, as the escalating conflict in West Asia began directly affecting civilian life in the Gulf.

The Indian Embassy in the UAE confirmed it was in touch with hospital authorities and said the injured citizen was “out of danger”.

UAE authorities reported three fatalities and dozens of injuries involving residents of multiple nationalities, including Indians, Pakistanis, Nepalese and Bangladeshis.

The strikes followed Iran’s retaliatory missile and drone campaign after the confirmed killing of its Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a coordinated US–Israeli strike on Tehran — an escalation that has widened the conflict beyond Israel and into Gulf states.

The UAE’s defence ministry said it intercepted 165 ballistic missiles, destroying 152 and diverting 13 into the sea. It also reported shooting down 506 of 541 Iranian drones.

The fallout has extended beyond security concerns into civilian disruption. Eighty-four MBA students and four faculty members from Pune’s Indira School of Business Studies (ISBS) are currently stranded in Dubai after regional airspace closures halted outbound flights.

The students had travelled to Dubai on a five-day academic visit. While 40 were scheduled to return to Pune on Saturday and the remaining 44 on Sunday, both batches were unable to leave due to the shutdown of airspace following the missile exchanges.

“All are safe and have been moved to a hotel,” ISBS dean Janardhan Pawar said. Institute chairperson Tarita Shankar said the university was in constant coordination with the ministries of external affairs and civil aviation to ensure their safe return.

University officials have also reached out to parents and are in touch with hotel authorities in Bur Dubai to support the group during their stay. “The safety and security of students and faculty remain the university’s highest priority,” the institute said, adding that conditions outside remained normal.

Pune district authorities confirmed that they were also in contact with another 10 residents from the city stranded in Dubai.

The conflict has triggered wider disruptions across the UAE. Air defence activity was reported over Dubai as authorities moved to intercept incoming threats, while major aviation routes across the region were affected by temporary closures and rerouting.

With missile exchanges now reaching key commercial centres and aviation corridors, the conflict’s spillover into UAE airspace has begun affecting not only security but also travel and civilian mobility in one of the world’s busiest transit hubs.

With PTI inputs