UAE Orders Closure of Iran-Linked Hospital in Dubai Amid Rising Tensions
The United Arab Emirates has ordered the closure of an Iranian-linked hospital in Dubai, officials and staff say, as tensions between Abu Dhabi and Tehran escalate amid ongoing missile and drone attacks from Iran on Gulf states.
The hospital, run by the Iranian Red Crescent Society and employing more than 700 people, is one of the UAE’s oldest healthcare facilities. Staff told AFP they were instructed to leave, with management citing Tehran’s recent attacks on the UAE as the reason.
Patients have been moved to other medical centers, and the hospital’s website has been taken offline.
Relations between the UAE and Iran have deteriorated sharply since February 28, when the United States and Israel launched strikes against Iran. In response, Tehran has conducted thousands of missile and drone attacks across the Gulf, including over 2,000 targeting the UAE. The violence has prompted Abu Dhabi to recall its ambassador and shut its diplomatic mission in Tehran.
The UAE has also closed several Iranian-linked institutions, including schools, as part of targeted measures against entities tied to the Iranian regime and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). A UAE official described the closures as administrative, aimed at ensuring compliance with local laws while maintaining essential services.
The move has left Iranian hospital staff and community members anxious, as some worry about the impact on their livelihoods and safety amid the broader geopolitical conflict.
On Friday, UAE authorities arrested at least five individuals linked to an Iran- and Hezbollah-backed network accused of attempting to infiltrate the country’s economy and threaten financial stability.
