Iran attacked a French military base in Abu Dhabi: one of the missiles fell a few meters from a cruise liner with tourists
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced combined strikes on military targets in the United Arab Emirates. The main target was the French naval base Camp de la paix ("Camp of Peace") in Abu Dhabi. The incident caused panic among European tourists: one of the projectiles exploded in the water in close proximity to a passenger liner.
Aftermath of the strike. Photo from social media
Official confirmation of the attack came from the UAE Ministry of Defense. According to the ministry, two Iranian drones struck the Al-Salam naval base in Abu Dhabi. The attack resulted in a fire in two containers with building materials. There is currently no information on fatalities or injuries.
According to preliminary expert assessments, Shahed-type kamikaze drones were used for the attack.
Camp de la paix (from Fr. — "Camp of Peace") is a strategic military facility of the French Armed Forces in the UAE, opened in 2009 by then-President Nicolas Sarkozy. Its creation was the result of a defense agreement between Paris and Abu Dhabi. It was the first French military base established outside Africa in half a century.
In turn, the Iranian IRGC claimed responsibility not only for the strike on the French facility. Tehran stated that simultaneously, four ballistic missiles were launched at the American aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln. However, there has been no independent confirmation or comments from the US regarding the attack on the ship yet.
Panic on a German cruise liner
The attack on military targets nearly led to mass casualties among the civilian population. According to the German publication BILD, citing eyewitnesses, one of the missiles fell into the waters of Port Zayed just a few meters from the cruise liner Mein Schiff 4, owned by TUI Cruises.
Cruise liner Mein Schiff 4
The ship's passengers experienced a real shock. One German tourist managed to inform journalists that around 4:30 PM (German time), an emergency notification arrived on people's mobile phones with an order to immediately gather in the ship's theater. After that, communication with him was interrupted. It is currently unknown if there are any casualties among the 2500 passengers and 1000 crew members.
The situation has seriously impacted the tourism industry in the region. Currently, six large cruise liners from various companies (including MSC Cruises and Celestyal Cruises) are docked in the ports of Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Doha (Qatar). Operators have already announced the cancellation of upcoming voyages and are working with local authorities to ensure the safety of tourists.