- UAE criminalises spreading unverified information about wars and national safety with jail or fines
- Penalties include jail term up to several years and fines from AED 100,000 to 1,000,000
- Iran launched missile attacks on US bases in the region, including sites in UAE and neighboring countries
The United Arab Emirates has announced that the circulation of "unverified information about wars, security or national safety" will be punishable with a jail term and/or a steep fine. Under the country's cybercrime law, the possible penalties will include detention or in more serious cases, a jail term of several years. The fine could be between AED 100,000 to 1000,000.
It is illegal, UAE said, to spread "false news, rumours or misleading information". Sharing content that causes panic or public confusion is also a strict no-no, UAE said.
The warning comes in the wake of US and Israeli air strikes on Iran that started on Saturday. In its retaliatory attacks, Iran targeted Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar and the UAE. All the targets house air-bases with US assets.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has claimed that all the targets have been struck "by powerful blows of Iranian missiles".
"This operation will continue relentlessly until the enemy is decisively defeated... All US assets throughout the region are considered legitimate targets for Iran's army, it said.
The UAE's ministry of Defence said one Pakistan, one Nepali, and one Bangladesh national were killed in airstrikes. There were 58 cases of minor injuries.
Among those injured is an Indian national.The Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi, in a post on X, said: "The Embassy is aware of the injury to the Indian national and is in touch with the hospital authorities. The Indian national is out of danger. We are rendering all possible assistance."
UAE's Ministry of Defence has said its air force and air defence forces have successfully intercepted a large number of aerial threats.
In a statement shared on X, and subsequently reposted by the Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi, the Ministry confirmed that the military has "so far dealt with 165 ballistic missiles, two cruise missiles and 541 Iranian drones since the start of the Iranian attack."
The UAE authorities have introduced a series of precautionary measures aimed at protecting residents, employees and tourists. These include temporary suspension of operations at major landmarks, recommendations for remote working within the private sector, and adjustments to operations in prominent business hubs.
