France Deploys Jets Over UAE

Rafale Fighter Jets Mobilized Following Iranian Drone Threats

PARIS – France has dispatched Rafale fighter jets over the United Arab Emirates to safeguard its naval and air bases amid threats from Iranian drone attacks, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot confirmed.

French military personnel, including hundreds of navy, air force, and army members, are stationed in the UAE. The Rafale jets operate from Al-Dhafra base near Abu Dhabi, where they are actively securing the airspace above French installations.

Barrot stated that the aircraft have carried out missions to protect French facilities after a hangar at one base was struck by a drone over the weekend. He emphasized ongoing coordination to enhance defensive measures and protect France’s interests in the region.

While France’s Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier is currently in the North Atlantic for scheduled multinational exercises, Barrot clarified that it has not been rerouted to the Mediterranean.

The military escalation follows US and Israeli attacks on Iran, which resulted in the death of Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei. In retaliation, Iran has targeted US allies across the Gulf region.

Recent drone incidents in the UAE included a strike on a fuel tank terminal in Abu Dhabi, causing a fire without disrupting operations, and debris from a drone interception that ignited a blaze in Fujairah’s oil industry zone. Additionally, Amazon reported that two of its UAE data centers were directly impacted by drone strikes, temporarily affecting cloud services across the Middle East.