Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi militia used drones to strike the United Arab Emirates on Monday, sparking explosions in three gasoline tankers and a fire near Abu Dhabi’s airport, the region’s business and tourism centre.

The attack on a key Gulf Arab ally of the US escalates the conflict between the Houthi group and a Saudi-led coalition, potentially complicating attempts to temper regional tensions as Washington and Tehran seek to salvage a nuclear deal.

“The UAE condemns this terrorist attack by the Houthi militia on areas and civilian facilities on Emirati soil…(It) will not go unpunished,” the foreign ministry said in a statement. “The UAE reserves the right to respond to these terrorist attacks and criminal escalation.”