A luxury hotel on Dubai’s iconic Palm Jumeirah was engulfed in flames after being struck by debris from Iranian missiles. Reports identify the affected property as the Fairmont The Palm, a popular tourist hotspot, where thick black smoke billowed into the sky following the incident. Emergency teams responded swiftly, extinguishing the fire, with four people injured and hospitalized. The strike forms part of Iran’s broader retaliatory barrage against U.S. and Israeli targets following the “Operation Epic Fury” strikes earlier in the day.
Explosions rocked multiple Gulf cities, including Abu Dhabi, as Iranian missiles targeted regional U.S. military bases and interests. Airspaces across the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, and beyond closed, stranding travelers and suspending flights at major hubs like Dubai International Airport.
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In response, the Irish Embassy in Abu Dhabi issued urgent advice for Irish citizens in the UAE, Qatar, and Kuwait to **shelter in place**, avoid unnecessary movement, and follow local authorities. The Department of Foreign Affairs updated its travel guidance, advising against non-essential travel to the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and strongly cautioning against visits to Iran, Israel, and Lebanon. With an estimated 14,000 Irish nationals in the UAE—many in Dubai and Abu Dhabi—authorities urged extreme caution amid the deteriorating security situation.
This rapid escalation has heightened fears of wider conflict, disrupting tourism and daily life in the usually stable Gulf region.
🚨BREAKING 🚨
Strikes have hit Fairmont The Palm hotel in DubaiThings have just drastically escalated pic.twitter.com/ajBfHO8DhT
— TheLiberal.ie (@TheLiberal_ie) February 28, 2026
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