A fire broke out at the Barakah nuclear power plant in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) following a drone attack, the Abu Dhabi government announced on Sunday.
The fire occurred at a power generator on the site. Authorities stated that no injuries were reported, and no impact on radiation safety was detected.
Suspicion quickly fell on Iran, which has targeted Gulf states heavily through missile and drone attacks in retaliation for the US-Israeli war against the country. The UAE has reported nearly 3,000 Iranian attacks since late February.
Barakah is the UAE’s largest electricity provider, generating 40 terawatt-hours annually and meeting about a quarter of the nation’s demand. The facility was constructed by a South Korean consortium and began operations in 2020, becoming the first nuclear power plant in the Arab world. It is located over 200 kilometres west of Abu Dhabi, near the borders with Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
Rafael Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), expressed grave concern over the incident on Sunday. “Military actions compromising nuclear safety are unacceptable,” he stated. The UAE informed the IAEA that radiation levels at Barakah remain normal, according to the statement.
