On Sunday, three drones entered UAE airspace from the country’s western border. Air defences intercepted two. The third struck an electrical generator outside the inner perimeter of the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant in the Al Dhafra region, starting a fire. Emergency teams contained the blaze, and the authorities confirmed there were no injuries or radioactive leaks. There was no disruption to the plant’s essential systems.
Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, was unequivocal: this was a “treacherous terrorist attack”. He affirmed the UAE’s full right to respond and to take all necessary measures to protect its security, territorial integrity and citizens, in accordance with international law. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs called the strike a “dangerous escalation” and an “unacceptable act of aggression”, stressing that targeting peaceful nuclear energy facilities constitutes a flagrant violation of international law, the UN Charter and the principles of humanitarian law.
The UAE was not the only target. On the same day, Saudi Arabia intercepted three drones launched from Iraqi airspace, warning that it would take the necessary operational measures to respond to any violation of its sovereignty. Together, the attacks represent a brazen escalation against Gulf states that have sought throughout this conflict to balance restraint with the defence of their sovereignty.
While the identity of the perpetrators has yet to be determined, Sunday’s strikes must be viewed in context. Since the Iran war began on February 28, the UAE has been subjected to more than 3,000 ballistic and cruise missile and drone strikes launched either from Iran or by Tehran-aligned proxies. Throughout the conflict, Iran has repeatedly attacked energy facilities across all six GCC countries, including the Habshan natural gas plant, the Shah natural gas field, the Bab oil fields and the Fujairah Oil Industry Zone.
The international response has been swift. The IAEA, the UN’s nuclear watchdog, condemned the strike, with Director General Rafael Grossi repeating a call for maximum military restraint near any nuclear power plant. That the agency provided immediate support to the UAE authorities underscores the fact that Barakah is considered the gold standard of peaceful civilian nuclear power in the region.
The importance of Barakah cannot be overstated. Its four units deliver clean power equivalent to Switzerland’s total demand, supplying about 25 per cent of the UAE’s electricity and advancing its net-zero goals. At a time when the US has been leading the effort to secure a deal with Iran to restrict its nuclear programme, Barakah stands as a physical testament – not just across the Arabian Gulf – to the viability and value of peaceful nuclear energy.
Building the Arab world’s first and only operational commercial nuclear power station was a deliberate, long-term endeavour. The enormous investment in its safety held Barakah in good stead on Sunday.
But Sunday’s attack was more than a security incident. It was a violation of a long-standing international taboo against attacking peaceful nuclear plants. And it was an assault on the future – on the clean energy transition, on the credibility of peaceful nuclear programmes and on the rules-based order that underpins them.
