A fire caused by a drone strike broke out in an electrical generator outside the inner perimeter of the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant in the UAE’s Al Dhafra Region, the Abu Dhabi Media Office said on Sunday.
No injuries were reported and radiological safety levels remained unaffected. The Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation said the plant’s key systems were functioning normally, the statement added.
The statement did not identify who was responsible for the suspected drone strike. The UAE has seen several missile and drone attacks during the Israel-US and Iran conflict, including incidents that authorities said came from Iran and were aimed at energy facilities and maritime infrastructure.
This incident also comes at a time when the UAE is moving faster on a new pipeline project that will help the Gulf nation increase oil exports without relying on the Strait of Hormuz route.
Sheikh Khaled bin Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, crown prince of Abu Dhabi, had instructed state-owned oil company ADNOC to speed up work on the project, according to the Abu Dhabi Media Office.
The new pipeline is expected to double the company’s export capacity through Fujairah and is set to begin operations next year.
UAE’s Barakah Nuclear Power Plant
Sunday’s strike was the first time the four-reactor Barakah Nuclear Power Plant had been targeted during the US-Iran war. The facility is located in the remote western desert area of Abu Dhabi, close to the Saudi border.
Built by the Emirates with support from South Korea, the Barakah nuclear power plant cost $20 billion and became operational in 2020. It remains the first and only nuclear power plant in the Arabian Peninsula, according to a report by Associated Press.
In recent years, nuclear power plants have increasingly become part of conflict zones, beginning during Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
During the US-Iran war, Tehran repeatedly said its Bushehr nuclear power plant had come under attack. However, the Russian-run reactor was not directly damaged and there was no radiological leak.
US-Iran war deadlock
The latest drone attack comes amid stalled negotiations between the United States and Iran. The US halted its attacks last month but later imposed a port blockade.
Iran has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, which previously handled one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas supplies before the US and Israel launched attacks on February 28.
The disruption to shipping has caused the biggest oil supply crisis in history and driven oil prices higher.
Talks aimed at ending the war have remained stalled since last week after Iran and the US rejected each other’s latest proposals.
With inputs from agencies
