UAE rescinds false missile alert after technical glitch

Residents across the United Arab Emirates received a startling emergency alert on their mobile phones on Friday, June 26, warning of a potential missile attack and instructing them to seek immediate shelter. Authorities quickly rescinded the alert, stating there was no security threat and attributing the incident to a technical malfunction.

The initial public safety message, sent by the Ministry of Interior, advised residents to immediately seek a safe place in the closest secure building and stay away from windows and open areas. Just over two minutes later, a follow-up notification reassured the public that the situation was safe and normal activities could resume. A subsequent alert explicitly instructed residents to disregard the previous warning. The National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority later confirmed the notifications were triggered unintentionally by a technical fault in the early warning system. The authority apologized for the incident and said immediate corrective measures had been taken.

The false alarm caused concern among residents, coming amid a backdrop of heightened regional tensions. While a ceasefire between the United States and Iran...