Drone strike hits UAE’s Barakah nuclear plant, raising fears of wider Iran conflict

A drone strike hit the United Arab Emirates’ Barakah nuclear power plant on Sunday, setting an electrical generator on fire along its perimeter and further straining the fragile ceasefire in the Iran war.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, which caused no radiological leak or injuries, authorities in Abu Dhabi said. However, suspicion quickly turned to Iran, which has recently intensified threats against the UAE over its hosting of Israeli Iron Dome missile defence systems and troops during the conflict.

The attack comes as Iran continues to maintain control over the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway through which one-fifth of the world’s oil and natural gas passed before the war, affecting global energy supplies. At the same time, the US continues blocking Iranian ports after negotiations aimed at strengthening the ceasefire failed to make progress.

US President Donald Trump has warned that hostilities could resume, while Iranian state television has repeatedly broadcast segments showing anchors carrying Kalashnikov-style rifles as part of efforts to prepare the public for war. At the same time, exchanges of fire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon have increased in recent days, threatening another ceasefire in the region.

The $20 billion Barakah nuclear power plant was developed by the UAE with assistance from South Korea and became operational in 2020. It is the Arabian Peninsula’s only nuclear power plant and supplies about a quarter of the UAE’s energy requirements. It is also the first commercial nuclear power plant in the Arab world.

The UAE’s nuclear regulator said the fire did not affect plant safety. “All units are operating as normal,” the organisation posted on X.

The UAE did not assign blame for the strike. The International Atomic Energy Agency, the United Nations nuclear watchdog based in Vienna, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Sunday’s strike was the first known attack on the four-reactor Barakah plant during the Iran war. The facility is located in the western desert region of Abu Dhabi near the Saudi Arabian border. The UAE signed a strict agreement with the US regarding the plant, known as a “123 agreement”, under which it agreed to abandon domestic uranium enrichment and spent fuel reprocessing to address proliferation concerns. The plant imports its uranium from abroad.

Nuclear power plants have increasingly become targets during conflicts in recent years, beginning with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. During the Iran war, Tehran repeatedly claimed that its Bushehr nuclear power plant had come under attack, although its Russian-operated reactor suffered no direct damage and there was no radiological leak.

Several attacks have taken place around the Strait of Hormuz and countries along the Persian Gulf in recent weeks. Talks between Iran and the US remain stalled as the fragile ceasefire risks collapsing and pushing the Middle East back into open conflict, extending the global energy crisis caused by the war.

On Iranian state television, presenters on at least two channels appeared carrying weapons during live broadcasts.

In one programme, Hossein Hosseini underwent basic firearms training from a masked member of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard. After learning how to handle the weapon, Hosseini pretended to fire at the UAE flag.

On another channel, presenter Mobina Nasiri said a weapon had been sent to her from a gathering in Tehran’s Vanak Square so she could appear armed on television. She said: “From this platform, I declare that I am ready to sacrifice my life for this country.”