One killed at UAE’s Habshan gas facility after intercepted attack

UAE on Friday suspends operations at Habshan gas facility in Abu Dhabi following fire caused by debris from intercepted Iranian attack sparked a fire at the site. Abu Dhabi authorities confirmed emergency teams responded swiftly and at least one person has been killed, and others wounded, after debris from an air defence interception set off fires at a gas facility. In a separate interception debris also fell in the nearby Ajban area following air defense action. 
The incident is the latest spillover from ongoing Iran-Israel-US tensions, with Iranian missiles and drones repeatedly targeting Gulf energy infrastructure. This marks the second such event at Habshan. On March 19, 2026, falling debris from intercepted missiles forced a temporary shutdown of the facility and nearby Bab oil field, with no casualties. Habshan, one of the world’s largest gas processing hubs with over 6 billion standard cubic feet per day capacity, remains vital to UAE and regional energy supply. 
The Habshan hub is linked to the Port of Fujairah by a 360‑km,  crude oil pipeline with a capacity of 1.5 million barrels per day, allowing Abu Dhabi exports to bypass the Strait of Hormuz. The incident comes as Iran continues to fire missiles and drones across the Middle East since the United States and Israel launched a war against the country on February 28. The UAE has been one of the hardest-hit countries in the Gulf region, where Iranian strikes have targeted several energy sites and other civilian facilities.
The surge in attacks also comes a day after the head of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) called on the United Nations Security Council to “take all necessary measures” to bring an end to Iran’s attacks on the region. Secretary-General Jassim al-Budaiwi also said the council should act to “protect maritime corridors and guarantee the uninterrupted maritime navigation through all strategic waterways” in the region. Iran has effectively halted traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical Gulf waterway through which about one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquified natural gas supplies transit, sending prices soaring.