AMN / WEB DESK
In the United Arab Emirates, a drone strike triggered a fire outside the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant in Abu Dhabi today. According to the Abu Dhabi Media Office, the blaze broke out in an external electrical generator located outside the plant’s perimeter. Authorities said there were no injuries and no impact on radiological safety levels.
The UAE’s nuclear regulator confirmed that the fire did not affect the plant’s operations or safety systems, adding that all reactor units continue to function normally.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, and UAE authorities have not blamed any party.
The strike is being seen as the first known attack targeting the four-reactor Barakah nuclear facility during the ongoing Iran conflict.
The United Arab Emirates has condemned in the strongest terms the unprovoked terrorist attack targeting an electricity generator outside the inner perimeter of the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant in Al Dhafra region, carried out by a drone that entered the country’s territory from the western border direction, without causing any injuries or any impact on radiation safety levels.
In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) affirmed that these attacks constitute a dangerous escalation, an unacceptable act of aggression, and a direct threat to the country’s security.
The Ministry stressed that the targeting of peaceful nuclear energy facilities is a flagrant violation of international law, the UN charter, and the principles of humanitarian law, given the grave risks such acts pose to civilians, the environment, as well as regional and international security.
Meanwhile, expressing serious concern over the escalation, the International Atomic Energy Agency(IAEA) warned about the dangers posed by military activity near nuclear infrastructure. IAEA Director General, Rafael Grossi, described such actions as unacceptable, stressing that operating weaponised systems near sensitive nuclear sites could pose catastrophic risks to regional safety and security.
Abdullah bin Zayed holds phone calls with several Arab foreign ministers to discuss repercussions of attack on Barakah Plant perimeter
Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, discussed during phone calls with a number of foreign ministers of brotherly countries the repercussions of the terrorist attack that targeted an electrical generator outside the inner perimeter of the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant in Al Dhafra Region, carried out by a drone that entered the country’s territory from the western border direction, without causing any injuries or any impact on radiation safety levels.
Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan held telephone talks with Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the State of Qatar; Ayman Safadi, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan; Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; Sheikh Jarrah Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the State of Kuwait; Nasser Bourita, Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates of the Kingdom of Morocco; Dr Badr Abdelatty, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Emigration and Egyptian Expatriates of the Arab Republic of Egypt; and Dr Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Bahrain.
H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan and the ministers strongly condemned the criminal terrorist attack, stressing that it represents a dangerous escalation and a clear violation of the principles of international law and the Charter of the United Nations due to the grave risks it could pose to civilians, the environment, and regional and international security.
They reaffirmed the UAE’s full and legitimate right to respond to these attacks in a manner that guarantees the protection of its sovereignty, national security, territorial integrity, and the safety of its citizens, residents and visitors, in accordance with international law.
During the calls, H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan expressed his appreciation for the solidarity shown by the brotherly countries towards the UAE, affirming the safety of all residents and visitors across the country.
The phone discussions also addressed ways to strengthen international cooperation and intensify joint efforts to establish sustainable peace in the region and reinforce regional security and stability.