Fire erupted at a critical oil hub in the United Arab Emirates on Saturday amid the ongoing military conflict in the Middle East.
Plumes of dark black smoke billowed around the Port of Fujairah, the only multipurpose maritime facility on the UAE’s east coast. The Fujairah government’s media office said debris from an intercepted drone caused the fire. No injuries were reported.
The fire comes after Iran said it would retaliate against the US for attacking Kharg Island on Friday. Kharg Island, located about 300 miles from the Strait of Hormuz, is key to Iran’s oil industry and has refineries that process nearly all of the country’s oil exports.
President Donald Trump said the US had “totally obliterated” military targets on Kharg Island in a Truth Social post on Friday. In a Truth Social post on Sunday, Trump said he hoped other countries affected by the Strait of Hormuz closure would send warships alongside the US to help secure it.
War broke out in the Middle East last month when the US and Israel launched joint strikes against Iran. In response, Iran has targeted US military bases in neighboring countries like Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and the UAE. The ongoing military conflict has shuttered airspaces and halted most traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. US strikes on Kharg Island and damage to the UAE’s Port of Fujairah could impact oil prices, which again surged past $100 on Friday, driving up gas prices around the world.
Smoke from the coast of Fujairah spread over the Gulf of Oman.
A satellite image taken on Saturday showed smoke from the fire spreading over the Gulf of Oman. The Port of Fujairah exported an average of 1.7 million barrels of crude oil and refined fuels each day in 2025, Reuters reported.
Some operations at the Port of Fujairah were suspended on Saturday.
Local outlets reported that some oil-loading operations were suspended on Saturday following the intercepted strike.
The Fujairah Oil Industry Zone can store millions of barrels.
The Fujairah Oil Industry Zone, located near the port, is home to the largest commercial storage facility for refined oil products in the Middle East. The hub can store about 70 million barrels of oil.
The military conflict has sent oil prices skyrocketing.
The ongoing war has disrupted the oil supply chain, sending oil prices over $100 a barrel this week. The International Energy Agency said it will release 400 million barrels from reserves in response, marking the largest coordinated release in the IEA’s history.
The International Energy Agency said the war has caused the largest oil market disruption in history.
The International Energy Agency said global oil supply will drop by 8 million barrels a day in March.
“Disruptions are not limited to upstream production and exports, with several refineries and gas processing facilities shut down due to attacks or for safety concerns,” the agency said in its monthly markets report. “The closure of the Strait is also forcing export-oriented refineries to cut runs or shut completely as product storage tanks top up.”
The UAE said it intercepted nine missiles and 33 drones launched from Iran on Saturday.
The UAE Defense Ministry said it intercepted nine ballistic missiles and 33 uncrewed aerial vehicles launched from Iran in an X post on Saturday.
“Since the onset of the blatant Iranian aggression, UAE air defences have engaged 294 ballistic missiles, 15 cruise missiles, and 1,600 UAVs launched from Iran,” it said.
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