The Irish Embassy in the United Arab Emirates has warned of severe consequences for photographing or sharing images or videos of drone or missile activity in the UAE, Kuwait and Qatar as the crisis in the Middle East deepens.
In a statement issued this morning, the Irish Embassy in the UAE, which also oversees Irish citizens in Kuwait and Qatar, said that the authorities in each country have “clearly stated that photographing, posting or sharing images or videos of drone or missile activity in relation to the current crisis, as well as damage to government buildings or diplomatic missions is illegal”.
“Irish citizens who violate these laws may [be] subject to fines, imprisonment, or deportation.
“We request that all Irish citizens continue to follow the advice of local authorities and follow official news sources,” the embassy said.
Multiple nations’ embassies have warned their citizens to avoid taking or sharing such images in recent days, as news has emerged that dozens of people have been arrested in the the UAE for sharing ‘war footage’.
This latest comes following another morning of heavy attacks across the UAE, which saw Iranian drones strike in the vicinity of Dubai airport, causing disruption to travel, and cause a fire in Fujairah, home of major oil facilities.
The UAE Ministry of Defence meanwhile said that its air defences dealt with six ballistic missiles and 21 drones from Iran today, bringing the official number since the start of Iran’s retaliatory attacks to 304 ballistic missiles, 15 cruise missiles, and 1627 drones.
As a result of the ongoing conflict, Dublin Airport announced today that Emirates has “temporarily suspended all flights to/from Dubai, including flights to/from Dublin Airport”.
“As always, passengers due to fly today should contact their airline directly for the latest updates on the status of their flight,” the airport update said.
The conflict in the Middle East shows no signs of abating as it enters its 17th day, with US President Donald Trump warning that NATO faces a “very bad” future if its allies do not send warships to help bring to an end the Iranian blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a vitally important shipping route for global trade.
Separately, Israel has said that it has plans for another three weeks of war in order to degrade Iran’s military capabilities further, even as it announced that it was launching ground operations in southern Lebanon against the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia.
European nations have proven resistant to American appeals to join the war on Iran, with Germany, Greece, Italy and the UK variously suggesting that they would not engage in military activity in the Strait of Hormuz or did not see the need for NATO to do so at present.