By Toby Gregory with Peter Barabas and Gavin Blackburn
Published on •Updated
Euronews’ journalist Toby Gregory boarded his Emirates flight to Dubai at London’s Heathrow airport on Monday when mobile phone alerts started appearing that new Iranian drone and missile attacks were under way in the United Arab Emirates.
The UAE’s defence ministry and state news agency said a fresh Iranian barrage had targeted the country following multiple alerts from authorities warning people to take cover.
“Four cruise missiles launched from Iran were detected toward various areas across the country. Three were successfully engaged over the country’s territorial waters, while one fell in the sea,” the defence ministry said on social media.
Gregory reported from onboard the Emirates aircraft that the Airbus A380 pushed back on time, headed to the runway and just as it was about to take the off when the captain informed the passengers that they were returning to the stand as the Emirate’s operations centre instructed them to hold, as a precautionary measure.
“Literally just as we were about to take off, the plane was turned around,” Gregory said from inside the plane.
The captain is then heard in Euronews video saying the measure was due to “the ever-changing situation in Dubai at the moment.”
The flight was scheduled to depart London at 16:15 BST and an hour later, to ensure operational resilience, the ground crew started loading additional fuel to the aircraft to allow for flight flexibility in case the plane was rerouted or put in a holding pattern on its approach to Dubai, as a standard safety measure.
Gregory reported that atmosphere in the cabin remained calm, with passengers having no concerns about safety due to the airline’s track record of maintaining passenger safety.
“Safety remains the top priority for Emirates and such situations are treated as a precautionary decision in light with standing procedures,” the Euronews reporter said, while the flight was waiting for clearance to depart.
UAE slams Iranian strikes
The United Arab Emirates slammed the latest Iranian barrage targeting its country, calling the attacks, the first since a ceasefire with Iran came into force, a “dangerous escalation”.
“These attacks represent a dangerous escalation and an unacceptable transgression, posing a direct threat to the state’s security, stability, and the safety of its territories,” the UAE’s foreign ministry said in a statement.
It added that the UAE “reserves its full and legitimate right to respond to these attacks.”
Iran said it had “no plans” to target the UAE, Iranian state television said on Monday.
A senior Iranian military official said “Iran had no plans to target the UAE,” after the UAE said it had been targeted by a fresh Iranian barrage on Monday.
In response, the UAE ordered all schools to return to remote learning for the rest of the week, the education ministry said.
“The Ministry of Education announces a decision to shift to a remote learning system starting from Tuesday, May 5, 2026, until Friday, May 8, 2026,” a statement posted by the ministry on social media said.
Meanwhile, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the Iranian attacks were “a clear violation of sovereignty and international law.”
“These attacks are unacceptable,” she said in a post on X, adding that “security in the (Gulf) region has direct consequences for Europe.”
The European Commission president said the EU will work with its partners “on de-escalation and diplomatic resolution, to bring an end to the Iranian regime’s brutal actions. Both against its neighbours and its own people.”