Maldives condemns drone attack of UAE consulate in Iraq’s Erbil

The Maldivian Foreign Ministry has condemned the recent drone attack on the United Arab Emirates (UAE)’s consulate in the Kurdistan region of Iraq.

The United States and Israel launched surprise attacks on Iran on February 28, sparking a regional conflict as Iran retaliated by unleashing hundreds of drones and missiles not just on Israel, but also on neighboring Gulf Arab states that host US assets.

This includes a drone attack on Monday on Erbil. Iraqi ​Kurdistan's Counter-Terrorism service said ​that it downed three drones ‌in ⁠Erbil, with debris from one of the ​drones ​falling ⁠near the UAE consulate.

The Maldivian Foreign Ministry issued a statement on Wednesday strongly condemning the attack, stressing that that targeting of diplomatic premises constitutes “a serious violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and undermines the established norms of diplomatic engagement.”

“The Government of Maldives reiterates the importance of protecting diplomatic premises and expresses its full solidarity with the Government and the brotherly people of the United Arab Emirates,” added the Foreign Ministry.

The Maldives has condemned attacks by the US and Israel, as well as Iran, and has repeatedly urged all sides to cease hostilities as the conflict widens.