Falling particles from a drone interception prompts halt to play on the Fujairah Challenger occasion on the UAE’s Gulf coast.
Printed On 3 Mar 2026
An ATP Challenger tennis event within the United Arab Emirates was interrupted after a “safety alert” linked to Iranian strikes on targets within the Gulf area, launched in response to assaults by america and Israel.
Falling particles from the interception of a drone on Tuesday triggered a fireplace in an oilfield positioned about 15km (9 miles) from the positioning of the event on the lads’s second-tier world circuit.
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Play within the Fujairah Challenger occasion in Fujairah, a metropolis on the UAE’s japanese Gulf coast, was suspended in keeping with established safety protocols, earlier than being cancelled for the rest of the day.
“Following session with native authorities and safety advisors, play has been cancelled for the rest of the day as a precautionary measure,” the ATP mentioned in a press release.
A video on social media confirmed two gamers, Belarusian Daniil Ostapenkov and Japan’s Hayato Matsuoka, scrambling for shelter after a public announcement.
“I simply completed my match in Fujairah, second spherical, however the play is suspended for in the present day,” Ukrainian participant Vladyslav Orlov mentioned on Instagram. “Once I was enjoying, I heard the sound of the jets flying right here and there. And there may be smoke right here, subsequent to the mountain, so not very protected right here proper now.”
Iran has launched missiles and drones at a number of international locations across the Center East in response to US-Israeli assaults which have killed not less than 787 individuals throughout Iran since Saturday, in line with the Iranian Crimson Crescent Society.
The Iranian assaults have more and more focused oil and gasoline infrastructure within the Gulf, prompting issues about disruptions to world power markets.
In addition they have spurred condemnation from international locations within the area, together with the UAE, which on Tuesday described the firings from Iran as “blatant aggression and a grave violation of nationwide sovereignty and worldwide regulation”.
The UAE intercepted 186 Iranian missiles since February 28 when the US-Israeli assaults on Iran began, in line with the nation’s Defence Ministry assertion.
“Of those, 172 missiles have been destroyed, 13 fell into the ocean, and one missile landed on the nation’s territory,” the ministry mentioned, including that 755 Iranian drones have been intercepted whereas 57 fell inside UAE territory.
At the very least three individuals have been killed within the UAE as a result of assaults thus far whereas 68 others suffered minor accidents, the ministry mentioned.
“The Ministry … affirmed that the UAE reserves its full proper to reply to this escalation and to take all essential measures to guard its territory, residents and residents, in a way that safeguards its sovereignty, safety and stability, and protects its nationwide pursuits and capabilities.”