False alarm: Dubai residents receive missile alert, told to 'disregard' it minutes later

Residents in Dubai received an incoming missile alert on Friday, only to be told shortly afterward to "disregard" the warning.The brief text message from the UAE's Interior Ministry, sent shortly after 5.:5 pm local time, was the first such alert issued during the Iran war.The warning appeared to have been sent in error, though it was not immediately clear what triggered it. Authorities did not provide any further explanation.The alert startled mobile phone users across Dubai, marking the first such warning in the weeks since the ceasefire.Iran had repeatedly targeted US interests and allies in the Middle East during the conflict. Several countries in the region, including the UAE, host US military bases.Shortly after the alert, the UAE said Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan had spoken by phone with his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi. According to the UAE, Sheikh Abdullah stressed the importance of "full commitment" to the interim agreement between Iran and the United States."Serious diplomacy and responsible dialogue are the optimal path for addressing all regional and international crises," the UAE said in a statement.The United States and Iran are still negotiating terms of the interim peace deal, including issues such as getting ships through the Strait of Hormuz and addressing the future of Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium. Under the interim deal, the two sides have 60 days to work out the details.(With AP inputs)Catch the latest world news and top headlines. Download the TOI App.