Kuwait’s Defense Ministry said on Saturday 15 drones linked to Iran targeted Kuwait International Airport over the past 24 hours, sparking a major blaze at fuel storage tanks and causing significant damage to the airport’s radar system.
French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said on Saturday there was a “significant suspicion” the foiled attack on a Bank of America branch in Paris was linked to Iran.
The minister cited similarities to recent incidents across Europe involving young recruits allegedly paid to carry out attacks.
“It is reminiscent of other really similar types of actions that have taken place in other countries… there is a significant suspicion of a link with Iran,” Nunez said, describing what he called a coordinated pattern tied to the Middle East conflict.
The suspect in the Paris attack was arrested while trying to ignite an improvised device outside the Bank of America building.
The United Arab Emirates has in recent days canceled the residency visas of Iranians outside the country, leaving some stranded abroad, according to accounts and information received by Iran International from affected individuals.
Iranian residents discovered their visas had been revoked before returning to the UAE, preventing their re-entry, several affected individuals told Iran International, as relations between the two countries deteriorate following Iranian strikes on the Arab state.
Earlier reports had also pointed to the cancellation of tourist visas for Iranian nationals traveling to the UAE.
Several individuals described sudden cancellations while traveling. One Iranian resident said that after leaving for India with his family following the outbreak of war, he found his residency had been revoked, while his non-Iranian family members were still able to return.
Another said his residency tied to a 10-year “golden visa” had been canceled while he was abroad. A London-based Iranian with a UK work visa said he discovered his UAE residency had been revoked before traveling to Dubai.
On April 2, the UAE Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the country "is home to a respected and valued Iranian community that forms an integral part of its social fabric and contributes to its diversity and openness."
"In light of inaccurate media claims circulated regarding the residency status of the Iranian community, the UAE reassures residents that its institutional approach is guided by well-established procedures and frameworks that safeguard the safety and well-being of all members of society, without exception," it said.
The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs reaffirmed its commitment to "fostering a safe and stable environment based on the rule of law, ensuring the protection of the rights of all residents, and reflecting its enduring values of tolerance and coexistence."
The developments come amid escalating regional tensions. Following the start of joint US-Israeli strikes against the Islamic Republic, Iran launched attacks on countries in the region, with the UAE reportedly facing the highest volume.
Iran has so far launched 393 ballistic and cruise missiles and 1,835 drones toward the UAE, resulting in at least 10 deaths and 171 injuries, including Iranian nationals, according to official statistics.
In response, UAE authorities have suspended the operations of Iran-linked institutions, including an Iranian hospital, Iranian schools, the Club of Iranians, the UAE branch of Islamic Azad University, and the Imam Hossein mosque.
Housing units tied to these institutions have been vacated, and staff whose visas were linked to them — including teachers and some medical personnel — have had their residencies canceled, according to information obtained by Iran International.
At least five Iranian schools in the UAE have been closed, with student records returned to families.
Individuals whose residencies were revoked are being repatriated to Iran via Afghanistan, first transferred to Herat and then crossing by land.
UAE authorities have also instructed Iran’s consulate in Dubai to reduce its staff and continue operating with minimal personnel.
Senior UAE officials have in recent weeks taken unusually direct positions against Iran. Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan described the Islamic Republic as “terrorist,” saying the UAE would never submit to “terrorist blackmail.”
President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan earlier called Iran an “enemy” and warned that the country was “not an easy target.”
Ali Fouladvand, head of research at Iran’s Organization of Defensive Innovation and Research (SPND), a successor to the country’s pre-2004 nuclear weapons program, was killed along with members of his family in airstrikes on Borujerd on Saturday morning, Iranian media reported.
Iranian media described him as “an ordinary citizen” while reporting his death, despite SPND’s role in overseeing sensitive military-related research.
Fouladvand had survived an earlier attack during the 12-day war last June, in which his wife, Masoumeh Pirhadi, was killed.
He was sanctioned by the US State Department on October 1, 2025. No images of him have been publicly released.
Iranian media and eyewitnesses reported multiple explosions across Tehran on Saturday evening, with blasts heard in the northeast, west, center and east of the capital.
There are reports of airstrikes against the military facilities in Parchin, southeast of Tehran.
At the same time, some witnesses reported an attack on Bushehr airport.
Reports sent to Iran International also indicated explosions in Birjand and Mashhad in the east and Kermanshah in the west.
Exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi told CPAC 2026 in Texas that a future Iran would pose no nuclear threat, end terrorism, and keep vital shipping lanes open, presenting it as a stabilizing force rather than a source of global disruption.
“No more nuclear threats; No more terrorism; No more hostage taking; No more closing of the Strait of Hormuz; No more blackmailing of the global economy," he said when speaking of a free Iran.
"We must finish the job. This regime, in its entirety must go. If we do not finish the job and leave a rump of the regime in place, the threat posed by this Islamic Republic will not be solved," he added.
"Can you imagine Iran going from “Death to America” to “God Bless America”?
I can. Because I have seen the true soul of my people."
He said "unlike the regime that worships death and destruction, the Iranian people celebrate life and liberty."
"That’s why I can imagine an Iran that exports engineers instead of extremists."
Pahlavi said after all the massacres including the January killings of over 36,500 protesters, Iranian people will never agree to swap one tyrant for another.
"And another anti-American tyrant will not serve American interests either."
He promised that Iran is not Iraq and that the catastrophic mistake of de-Baathification will not be repeated. "There will be no dissolution of bureaucratic institutions, no power vacuum, no chaos."
"What we ask of America now is simple: stay the course. Do not throw this crumbling regime a lifeline. Pave the way for the Iranian people to finish the job."
