The Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi on Saturday issued an advisory for Indian citizens in the Middle East nation, hours after Iranian missiles struck the United Arab Emirates (UAE) capital, claiming the life of at least one person. In its advisory, the embassy advised people to avoid unnecessary travel, adding that it is constantly monitoring the situation and will issue updates as necessary.
"In view of the current regional situation, all Indian nationals in the United Arab Emirates are advised to avoid unnecessary travel, take due care, remain vigilant, follow safety guidelines and advisories as and when issued by the UAE authorities and the Embassy," the advisory read, while also issuing emergency contact numbers (800-46342 and +971543090571) for the people.
Earlier in the day, Iran strongly reacted to the joint strikes by the United States (US) and Israel, launching missiles strikes in the entire Middle East. In its missiles strikes in Abu Dhabi, one person was killed. Iran also targeted Dubai, following which the Burj Khalifa was evacuated as a precautionary measure.
UAE's Defence Ministry has strongly criticised the Iranian strikes and said it is on a high alert to deal with all threats. It said all necessary precautions are also being taken to firmly counter everything that targets the disruption of UAE's "security and stability".
"The Ministry condemned this attack in the strongest terms, affirming the country's categorical rejection of targeting civilian facilities, installations, and national institutions, emphasizing that such acts represent a dangerous escalation and a cowardly act that threatens the security and safety of civilians and undermines stability," UAE's Defence Ministry said.
Coming to Iran, the Middle East nation has also condemned the joint strikes by the US and Israel, and warned of retaliation. In an official statement, it has said that it would continue to target US and Israel bases in the Middle East until they are defeated, warning that they should not underestimate the situation.
The US and Israel are against Iran's nuclear programme, claiming that Tehran is developing nuclear weapons. However, Iran has said that its nuclear programme is only for civilian use. The US and Iran were also engaged in talks, but the two sides have clearly refused to accept each other's demands.
