Passengers ran to evacuate one of the world’s busiest airports early Sunday after reports of an Iranian attack, as Tehran targeted travel hubs in U.S.-friendly Gulf states. Dramatic videos show people fleeing through a smoke-filled corridor at Dubai International Airport, where authorities confirmed that four staff members were injured.
Airport officials did not specify what triggered the evacuation. However, aviation sources told Reuters that an overnight Iranian strike damaged one of the airport’s terminals.
Dubai authorities are shutting down the entire airport after an Iranian missile struck Terminal 3 at Dubai International Airport, source in the airport told me. pic.twitter.com/zibMPKHgJi
— Ihtisham Ul Haq (@iihtishamm) February 28, 2026
According to a statement to CNN, a waiting area at the airport suffered “minor damage,” and emergency teams were deployed immediately during Sunday’s evacuation. “Four staff members were injured and received prompt medical care,” the airport said. Witnesses also told CNN that ambulances rushed to the site after alarms sounded. Dubai Airports confirmed that all flights to and from the city’s two main airports have been suspended until further notice.
BREAKING: Iranian drone strike hits Dubai International Airport.
Evacuations are underway at the airport. pic.twitter.com/kjEwqD5Vyl
— Clash Report (@clashreport) February 28, 2026
“Passengers are advised not to travel to the airport at this time and to contact their airlines directly for the latest flight updates,” the Dubai Airport Press Office said.
In Dubai’s luxury Palm Jumeirah district—a global symbol of the emirate’s wealth and calm—an explosion hit the Fairmont The Palm hotel, setting it ablaze shortly after CNN-verified footage showed a drone appearing to dive toward the ground.
Dubai airport. pic.twitter.com/mBCSRRPiSH
— African🌍 (@blacqsheep254) March 1, 2026
Elsewhere in the United Arab Emirates, a drone attack at Zayed International Airport killed one person and injured seven, according to an airport statement on social media. In Qatar, missiles were intercepted over the capital Doha. Officials at Bahrain International Airport said a drone strike damaged facilities.
Dubai, in the UAE, is the Middle East’s largest tourism and trade hub. Its airport ranks among the busiest globally and serves as the home base of Emirates, one of the world’s leading international airlines. Last year, the airports of Dubai and Abu Dhabi handled a combined 127.7 million passengers, according to official figures.
Other Gulf states, including Qatar and Bahrain, also came under attack, shattering the image of the region’s kingdoms as luxury havens in an unstable neighborhood.
The UAE, Qatar, and Bahrain—hosts to U.S. military bases—became Iranian targets in retaliation for U.S. and Israeli strikes on the Islamic Republic since Saturday that killed Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei.
CNN-verified, geolocated videos also show a large fire engulfing a multi-storey residential building in Manama.
A wide corridor of airspace over the Middle East closed over the weekend. Airlines suspended flights across the region on Saturday, including routes to and from Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Flight-tracking maps showed skies nearly empty.
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