Sheikh Khalifa Bridge
UAE arterial bridge named on Iran's Fars News retaliation list.
Last refreshed: 4 April 2026
Which UAE bridges has Iran threatened to strike?
Latest on Sheikh Khalifa Bridge
- What is the Sheikh Khalifa Bridge?
- An arterial crossing in Abu Dhabi, UAE, named after the late UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan and placed on a Fars News Iranian retaliation target list in April 2026.Source: Public record
- Has Iran threatened UAE bridges?
- Yes. Both Sheikh Khalifa Bridge and Sheikh Zayed Bridge were named on an IRGC-aligned target list published in April 2026 following the US strike on the Karaj B1 bridge.Source: iran-conflict-2026 update 58
- Why were UAE bridges named on an Iranian retaliation list?
- Fars News framed the list as symmetrical pressure on Gulf States hosting Western forces, targeting civilian infrastructure to raise the domestic cost of Coalition membership.Source: iran-conflict-2026 update 58
Background
The Sheikh Khalifa Bridge is one of the arterial crossings serving Abu Dhabi, named alongside the Sheikh Zayed Bridge on an IRGC-aligned Fars News list of eight Gulf bridge retaliation targets published in April 2026. The list was framed as a symmetrical response to the US strike on the B1 highway bridge in Karaj.
The bridge is named after Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the late UAE President who died in May 2022. It forms part of the Abu Dhabi road network, handling significant volumes of daily traffic. Its targeting alongside the Zayed Bridge suggests Iran is signalling readiness to destroy UAE transport capacity, not just individual landmarks.
The UAE recorded its first two military fatalities of the conflict on 3 April 2026, the same day the target list was released. The overlap of soldier deaths and bridge threats has sharpened domestic debate in Abu Dhabi about the cost of Coalition membership and the adequacy of current defensive posture.
