A drone strike triggered a fire near Abu Dhabi’s Barakah Nuclear Power Plant on Sunday, heightening regional concerns amid escalating Middle East tensions.
Authorities said the blaze erupted in an external electrical generator outside the plant’s perimeter in the Al Dhafra region. Officials confirmed there were no injuries and no radiation impact. The UAE’s nuclear regulator stated that all four reactors at Barakah continue to operate normally.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, and UAE officials have not named any suspects. The International Atomic Energy Agency has yet to comment.
The strike marks the first known attack targeting the Barakah facility since the Iran conflict began. Located near the Saudi border, the $20‑billion plant built with South Korean assistance remains the only operational nuclear power station on the Arabian Peninsula.
Recent weeks have seen multiple attacks around the Strait of Hormuz and Persian Gulf, as Iran and the United States remain locked in a standoff. The fragile ceasefire threatens to collapse, raising fears of renewed warfare and further disruption to global energy supplies.
