A US economist is urging the UAE not to enter the ongoing war in the Middle East as Dubai and Abu Dhabi could be “blown up.”

Speaking to ANI, Jeffrey Sachs said the UAE has gotten itself into an “absurd mess” and continues to “double down” on its mistakes with its alignment with the US and Israel.

He said: “Basically, Dubai and Abu Dhabi could be blown up if the UAE gets into the war. These are resort areas. These are tourist destinations. These are not fortified missile defence areas. These are places where rich people are going to party and put their money. And to enter a war zone is to defeat the entire purpose of a place like Dubai.

“The Emirates got itself into an absurd mess with its eyes open. And it keeps doubling down, by the way.”

Sachs also advised the UAE not to “double down on a losing proposition” and urged the country to prioritise its security.

He told ANI: “I don’t want to be misunderstood, but the naivete of this announcing yesterday that we’re going to join this effort against the evil Iranians, and we’re going to continue to honour our commitment to put trillions of dollars into the United States. Come on. Enough. Protect yourself. Understand the situation. You think that doubling down on a losing proposition is really the right way to proceed at this point, but that’s exactly what they’re doing.”

Iran has launched a fresh wave of missile and drone attacks across the Middle East on Tuesday, with strikes reported in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Iraq. A fully loaded Kuwaiti crude oil tanker, known as the Al Salmi tanker, was struck in Dubai waters on Monday, sparking a fire after it was hit around 31 nautical miles northwest of the city.

Authorities in Dubai also confirmed in the early hours of March 30 that several explosions had been heard over the city, while there were also reports of loud blasts in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia’s Khobar region. A suspected Iranian strike on a power generation and water desalination facility in Kuwait was also reported, with casualties and serious damage feared.

The developments came just hours after Donald Trump warned Iran he was prepared to hit the country “harder than ever before” and unleash “hell” if further violence continued. CNBC reported very loud interception blasts were heard across Dubai as UAE air defences responded to missile threats launched from Iran.

Residents across the city also reported hearing explosions as defence systems attempted to intercept incoming projectiles.