A dramatic escalation in the Middle East conflict unfolded on March 2, 2026, when an Iranian Shahed (also spelled Shahid) drone reportedly slammed into a UAE oil rig in the Arabian Gulf. The viral video, widely shared on X (formerly Twitter) by news influencer Mario Nawfal, captures the precise moment the kamikaze drone collides with the rig, sparking a massive fireball and thick black smoke.
🚨🇮🇷🇦🇪 A UAE oil rig in the Arabian Gulf was reportedly hit by an Iranian Shahid drone.
This clip shows the moment the drone slammed into the rig.
Source: yediotnews https://t.co/HOx60ELdSn pic.twitter.com/nUiimtoGXk
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) March 2, 2026
The short but intense clip shows a low-flying drone streaking across the horizon before slamming into the offshore platform. A bright orange explosion erupts instantly, followed by flames engulfing part of the rig. The footage, filmed from a distance (possibly another vessel or drone), has racked up hundreds of thousands of views in hours.
This incident is part of Iran’s broader retaliatory campaign following U.S.-Israeli strikes that reportedly killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iranian forces have launched hundreds of Shahed-136 “suicide” drones and ballistic missiles targeting Gulf energy assets, U.S. bases, and civilian infrastructure across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and beyond.