Drone strike starts fire outside UAE nuclear plant as Iran war ceasefire tested
A drone strike hit teh Barakah Nuclear Power Plant in the United Arab Emirates on Sunday, triggering a fire. Abu Dhabi state media said the source of the strike was not identified, urged the public to rely on verified details, and reported no injuries or radiological safety impact. The UAE’s Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation confirmed the fire did not affect plant safety or the readiness of essential systems, and all units were operating normally.
The incident occurred about six weeks after a Pakistan-brokered ceasefire between the United States and Iran that was meant to halt strikes on surrounding Middle East nations, though earlier during that period the UAE said it had intercepted Iranian missiles and drones. Barakah is the UAE’s only power plant and supplies about a quarter of the country’s electricity, so any serious damage would be a major concern. In related developments, President Donald Trump is returning from a trip to China and has indicated he may accept a 20-year moratorium on Iran’s nuclear program.
A fire broke out at the United Arab Emirates’s Barakah Nuclear Power Plant on Sunday after a drone strike hit the area.
Abu Dhabi’s state media office did not say where the airstrike came from and told the public to only listen to verified sources and “to avoid spreading rumors” on the incident. The strike comes six weeks after the initial Pakistan-brokered ceasefire between the United States and Iran was put into play, which called for the end of strikes on surrounding Middle East nations.
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The ceasefire has been testy at times during the six weeks, with the UAE announcing it had to intercept 15 Iranian missiles and four Iranian drones two weeks ago. But the UAE did not blame Sunday’s drone strike on any particular nation. The media office said there were no injuries and no impact on radiological safety levels.
“The Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation (FANR) confirmed that the fire did not affect the safety of the power plant or the readiness of its essential systems, and that all units are operating as normal,” the Abu Dhabi Media Office said in a statement.
Barakah Nuclear Power Plant is the UAE’s only power plant and produces 25% of the country’s electricity. Any significant damage to the plant would be a major blow to the Gulf state.
WHAT’S TRUMP’S NEXT MOVE IN IRAN?
The coming week will be closely watched in the Iran war for all parties as President Donald Trump returns home from his trip to China. Trump said this week that he does not think “China wants Iran to have a nuclear weapon either” and told U.S. reporters that President Xi Jinping was “impressed” by the U.S.’s fight in the Iran war.
Trump also told reporters on Air Force One as he returned home from China that he would accept a 20-year moratorium on Iran’s nuclear program. He has previously maintained the stance that Iran would have to drop its nuclear program permanently.
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