Six drones in 48 hours. That is the count the UAE Ministry of Defence gave on Tuesday, and it also traced the ones aimed at the Barakah nuclear plant on May 17 to Iraqi territory, citing technical tracking and monitoring.
Three of the six were involved in the Barakah incident. Two were shot down. The third hit an electricity generator outside the plant’s inner perimeter. The ministry said the air defence forces acted “with the highest levels of readiness and efficiency, without any human casualties or impact on the safety of vital facilities.”
The UAE “reserves its full right to take all necessary measures to protect its sovereignty and national security,” the ministry added, and it stressed the full readiness of the Armed Forces to face any threat to national assets.
What the AP reported
The Associated Press said the origin in Iraq likely points to Iranian-backed Shiite militias. Those groups launched repeated drone attacks on Gulf Arab states after Israel and the United States began their war against Iran on Feb. 28, and in the past they have given Iran a way to deflect blame. No group has claimed the Barakah attack, though Iran and its proxies were suspected.
Nobody was reported hurt, and there was no radiological release. The ministry also said three other drones targeted the country over the last two days, without naming their targets. Saudi Arabia, which condemned the attack on the plant, later said it had intercepted three drones that came in from Iraqi airspace.
Iraqi government spokesman Bassem al-Awadi did not address the Emirati report directly. His statement said Baghdad “expresses its strong condemnation of the recent drone attacks targeting the UAE.”
Anwer Gargash, a prominent Emirati diplomat, struck a sharper tone on X. “The victim’s role has merged with that of the mediator, and vice versa, while the friend has turned into a mediator instead of being a steadfast ally and supporter,” he wrote.
The plant
Barakah cost $20 billion. South Korea helped the UAE build it, and it went online in 2020. It is the only nuclear power plant in the Arab world and can supply a quarter of the energy needs of the UAE.
Ceasefire talks
The attack came during a shaky pause in the Iran war. The ceasefire with the U.S. began April 8, and the UAE has recently accused Iran of launching drone and missile attacks even after it started. President Donald Trump said Tuesday he would give Iran a few days to make progress in peace negotiations before the United States resumes strikes. He told reporters he “was an hour away from making the decision” on a new round of strikes on Monday before calling it off.
Tensions also center on the Strait of Hormuz. Lloyd’s List Intelligence counted 54 ships through the strait the week of May 11, more than double the 25 of the week before. Before the war, 130 or more vessels passed each day.
Sources
- UAE says drones targeting Barakah Nuclear Power Plant on May 17 'originated from Iraqi territory'
- UAE says drones that targeted Barakah nuclear power plant came from Iraqi territory
