DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — A suspected Iranian drone struck a parking lot adjacent to the U.S. Consulate in Dubai on Tuesday, igniting a fire that sent plumes of black smoke into the sky but caused no injuries, U.S. and Emirati officials said.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed the incident, telling reporters that a drone hit the parking area near the chancellery building, setting off the blaze. All U.S. personnel at the consulate were accounted for and safe following the strike, Rubio said.
Dubai’s government Media Office reported that authorities quickly contained and extinguished the fire resulting from a “drone-related incident” near the consulate. No casualties were reported, the office added in statements posted on social media.
The attack comes amid a widening regional conflict in which Iran has launched a series of retaliatory drone and missile barrages targeting U.S. diplomatic facilities and interests across the Gulf. The strikes follow joint U.S.-Israeli military operations against Iran, including airstrikes that reportedly killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and inflicted heavy damage on Iranian targets.
Iran has expanded its counterattacks in recent days to include U.S. embassies and consulates in neighboring countries. Earlier Tuesday, Iranian drones struck the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, causing a limited fire, according to Saudi officials. Other incidents have been reported at U.S. diplomatic sites in Kuwait and elsewhere in the region.
The U.S. State Department has ordered the evacuation of non-emergency personnel and family members from several Gulf countries, including the United Arab Emirates, amid the escalating violence. Washington has also urged American citizens to leave more than a dozen Middle Eastern nations, though widespread airspace closures have complicated departures.
President Donald Trump has described the ongoing U.S. and Israeli operations against Iran as necessary to counter an imminent threat, suggesting the campaign could continue for weeks. Oil and gas prices have surged, and international shipping through key routes like the Strait of Hormuz has been disrupted as the conflict intensifies.
No immediate claim of responsibility was issued by Tehran for the Dubai strike, though Iranian state media reported on drone operations targeting American positions in the region.
The incident underscores the spillover of the U.S.-Iran confrontation into neutral Gulf states long seen as safe havens for business and diplomacy. Dubai authorities have not commented further on potential damage beyond the extinguished fire.
U.S. officials said they were monitoring the situation closely and coordinating with Emirati partners on security measures.
