DUBAI: Several loud explosions rang out early on Wednesday in the United Arab Emirates’ Dubai, AFP journalists said, as Iran continued to target Gulf countries with its retaliatory strikes. The authorities said air defenses were “responding to incoming missile and drone threats from Iran,” with the UAE saying it has been the target of over 2,000 Iranian drones and missiles since the start of the war.

Iran is looking to test a state that has positioned itself as the Gulf's safest bridge between East and West — and the future of the region.

Dubai officials temporarily suspended all flights at the city's international airport Monday morning, as the United Arab Emirates was defending itself against a barrage of Iranian…