Drone strike sparks fire at UAE nuclear power plant, the first time it’s been attacked since the Iran war started
A drone strike targeted the United Arab Emirates’ sole nuclear power plant on Sunday, sparking a fire on its perimeter. There were no reports of injuries or radiological release, but it highlighted the risk of renewed war as the Iran ceasefire remains tenuous. No one immediately claimed responsibility, and the UAE did not blame anyone. It has however accused Iran of launching drone and missile attacks in recent days as tensions rise over the Strait of Hormuz, a vital energy waterway still gripped by Iran, which is under a U.S. naval blockade. The UAE has hosted air defenses and personnel from Israel, which joined the U.S. in the Feb. 28 attack that sparked the war. U.S. President Donald Trump has suggested hostilities could resume and was expected to speak with Israel’s prime minister on Sunday. Iranian state television has aired segments with news anchors holding rifles in an effort to prepare the public for war. Diplomatic efforts aimed at a more durable peace have faltered. Fighting has also heated up between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon despite a nominal ceasefire there, further straining the wider truce. Barakah plant can provide a quarter of the UAE’s energy The UAE Defense Ministry said three drones had come over its western border with Saudi Arabia, with the other two intercepted. It was investigating who launched them. Iran and Iranian-backed Shiite militias in Iraq have launched repeated drone attacks targeting Gulf Arab states in the war. The $20 billion Barakah nuclear power plant was built by the UAE with the help of South Korea and went online in 2020. It is the only nuclear power plant in the Arab world and can provide a quarter of the energy needs in the UAE, a federation of seven sheikhdoms that is home to Dubai. The UAE’s nuclear regulator said on X the fire didn’t affect plant safety and “all units are operating as normal.” Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, later said he spoke by phone with his