A mural depicting a Shahed drone and carrying a threatening message in English directed at the UAE has appeared on a wall near the UAE Embassy in Tehran. The embassy has been closed since March 1 following Iranian missile and drone attacks on the UAE. The message beside the drone reads: “This sound is close to you — closer than you think! Good night, UAE.”

The mural was painted on Khordin Boulevard in Shahrak-e Gharb, the neighbourhood where the UAE Embassy is located. The text beside the black image of the drone begins with the large words “Rrrrrrr... boom,” with “boom” and “Good night, UAE” written in red. It remains unclear which organisation designed and painted the mural. UAE officials had not responded to it by the time of publication.

The UAE closed the embassy one day after joint US and Israeli attacks on Iran began, recalling its ambassador and all members of its diplomatic mission. The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the closure was in response to attacks targeting residential areas, airports, ports and essential service facilities in the country. Tehran, however, says its attacks were aimed at US bases in Arab countries across the region. The UAE was targeted by thousands of Iranian missiles and drones during the first weeks of the war. According to UAE Ministry of Defence data, hundreds of the drones were Shahed models.

Despite the April 8 ceasefire between Iran and the US, tensions between Tehran and Abu Dhabi did not ease. The UAE suspended trade and financial dealings with Iran in August and announced on August 31 that it had intercepted an Iranian drone over its territorial waters. In September, the Central Bank of the UAE barred Bank Melli Iran branches in the country from conducting any financial transactions with Iran, including trade finance and money transfers, over failures to comply with anti-money laundering regulations. From September 24, the UAE’s civil aviation authority also suspended all Iranian airline flights to and from the country until further notice, citing a US ban on Iranian carriers using airports worldwide. Dubai, home to a large Iranian community, had been a key destination for these airlines.

Political murals have a long history in Tehran. In a September report, Al Jazeera said the city’s walls had become an open-air exhibition since the war began, with the artwork changing every few days. Some of the murals depict Iranian drones and missiles.