The United Arab Emirates on Tuesday said that six drones had been launched from Iraq towards the Gulf nation over the past 48 hours, with one of them causing a fire at the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant on Sunday. UAE authorities said the attacks were linked to growing regional tensions despite the Iran conflict largely calming down after the April ceasefire. The UAE defence ministry said in a statement that its air defence systems intercepted all but one of the drones. Officials added that three of the drones were specifically targeting the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant, which is known as the Arab world’s first commercial nuclear power station.
تعلن وزارة الدفاع أنه خلال الـ48 ساعة الماضية تمكنت منظومات الدفاع الجوي الإماراتية من رصد والتعامل بنجاح مع 6 طائرات مسيرة معادية حاولت استهداف مناطق مدنية وحيوية في الدولة.
وقد نجحت قوات الدفاع الجوي في اعتراض وتحييد الأهداف المعادية وفق أعلى درجات الجاهزية والكفاءة، دون تسجيل… pic.twitter.com/ZUUbZG2i99
— وزارة الدفاع |MOD UAE (@modgovae) May 19, 2026
Drone attack causes fire near Barakah Nuclear Power Plant
According to the UAE defence ministry, the one drone that managed to bypass the country’s air defences struck an electric generator located outside the inner perimeter of the Barakah plant. The ministry confirmed that the impact caused a fire but did not breach the main nuclear facility.
Following the strike, the UAE’s Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation assured the public that the plant remained safe. Authorities said that no radioactive material had been released because of the attack. Emirati officials also stated that the country reserves the full right to respond to such “terrorist attacks”.
Iraq-linked drone threats continue despite Iran ceasefire
Iraq is home to several powerful Iranian-backed militia groups that have previously claimed responsibility for attacks targeting what they described as “enemy bases in Iraq and the region” during the Iran war.
Although hostilities in the region have reduced significantly since the ceasefire came into effect in April, Gulf nations continue to face drone threats launched from Iraqi territory. In recent weeks, drones have also reportedly been fired towards Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.
Saudi Arabia also reports drone interceptions from Iraqi airspace
Saudi Arabia said on Sunday that it intercepted three drones that entered from Iraqi airspace. Saudi officials warned that the kingdom would take all necessary steps in response to any attempt to threaten its sovereignty and national security.
However, Iraqi authorities denied that drones had been launched from their territory. Iraq stated that its air defence systems had not detected any drones taking off from Iraqi airspace, even as regional tensions continue to remain high.
(with inputs from Reuters)
Khalid Qasid is a media enthusiast with a strong interest in documentary filmmaking. He holds a Master’s degree in Convergent Journalism from AJK MCRC. He has also written extensively on esports at Sportsdunia. Currently, he covers world and general news at NewsX Digital.
