The Persian Gulf country of the United Arab Emirates officially confirmed that a drone attack caused a fire near the country's nuclear power plant. This incident also highlighted the rising regional security risks as the war in Iran continues to ferment. UAE defense officials said that the air defense system intercepted three drones entering from the country's western border and successfully shot down two of them; the remaining one broke through the defense and caused a fire in the peripheral generating unit area of the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant, about 175 miles west of the capital Abu Dhabi. The incident site did not enter the nuclear power plant's core protective circle.
The UAE said the drones flew into the country from the western border and are still tracing the source of the attack. According to people familiar with the matter, the UAE suspects that the attack was initiated by Iran. Since the beginning of this year, the UAE has blamed Iran for more than 2,800 drone and missile attacks.
No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.
Anwar Gargash, diplomatic advisor to the President of the United Arab Emirates, said: "The deliberate attack on the Barakah Clean Energy Nuclear Power Plant, whether carried out by the mastermind personally or through proxy forces, is a dangerous escalation of the situation. This move blatantly violates all international laws and international norms, and is a heinous act that disregards the safety of civilian lives."
The Abu Dhabi Media Office said that radiation levels at the nuclear power plant site were normal and that the facility, which houses four nuclear reactors and supplies a quarter of the UAE's electricity, remained in normal operation. The International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed that one of the reactors had switched to emergency diesel generators due to the attack.
International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi expressed deep concern about the incident and called on all parties to maintain maximum military restraint around nuclear power plants.
At the time of the attack, Trump once again made harsh words, saying that if Iran is unwilling to reach a peace agreement, the United States will take military action.
Trump posted on social platforms on Sunday local time: "There is not much time left for Iran. Iran must show its attitude as soon as possible, otherwise the country will not be what it used to be."
Peace negotiations at the diplomatic level are still progressing. Iranian media stated that Iran has recently received a new ceasefire plan proposed by the United States and has responded through the core mediator Pakistan. The White House has not yet responded to the news.
The two sides have huge differences on core issues such as Iran's nuclear program and Iran's control over the Strait of Hormuz. Trump bluntly stated a week ago that Iran's previous response was completely unacceptable.
At the end of March this year, Trump threatened that if Iran did not lift its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, the United States would take the lead in destroying Iran's large power stations and other power facilities. Since then, Iranian state media has included the UAE nuclear power plant in its list of targets for retaliation.
So far, Trump has not fulfilled this threat of force, and Iran continues to block this strategic waterway. After the United Arab Emirates announced that it would deepen security cooperation with the United States and Israel to deal with the Iranian threat, Iran further increased its attacks on the United Arab Emirates and issued a tougher warning.
