The UN Security Council on Tuesday condemned the drone strike on the UAE's Barakah nuclear power plant, warning that attacks on such civilian facilities threaten human life, critical infrastructure and the environment.
In a unanimous statement, the council's 15 members said the attack was “a flagrant violation of international law with grave risks for civilian lives, infrastructure and the environment” and expressed “deep concern over this dangerous escalation".
They demanded “the immediate and permanent cessation of all attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure in the UAE, including attacks and threats of attack against peaceful nuclear facilities".
Council members also called on all states to adhere to the “highest standards of nuclear safety, security and safeguards and to refrain from actions that could endanger nuclear facilities”.
The statement reaffirmed that the Barakah plant, the Arab world's first commercial nuclear power station, was designed, built and operated in accordance with international standards and in line with safety requirements.
The council also affirmed its "full commitment" to promoting peace and stability in the Middle East, and reiterated its "strong support" for UAE sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Last week, the UAE said that six drones had been launched from Iraq towards its territory, including one that struck a generator outside the inner perimeter of the Barakah plant and caused a fire that was later brought under control.
UAE ambassador Mohamed Abushahab told an emergency UN Security Council meeting after the strike that the attack constituted a “dangerous escalation in an already volatile regional environment”.
Mr Abushahab said the strike was part of a broader pattern of regional escalation driven by cross-border attacks and proxy groups.
“This brazen attack is not an isolated incident but occurs in a wider regional context, in which persistent cross-border attacks by one state and its proxies have pushed the region towards heightened escalation and dangerous confrontation,” he said.
