Drone strikes UAE nuclear plant highlighting risk of renewed war

Key developments are emerging from the global stage. World Drone strikes UAE nuclear plant highlighting risk of renewed war May 18, 20261:37 AM ET By The Associated Press FILE - This undated photograph released by the United Arab Emirates' state-run WAM news agency shows the under-construction Barakah nuclear power plant in Abu Dhabi's Western desert. Arun Girija/Emirates News Agency/via AP hide caption toggle caption Arun Girija/Emirates News Agency/via AP DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — A drone strike sparked a fire on the edge of the United Arab Emirates' sole nuclear power plant on Sunday in what authorities called an "unprovoked terrorist attack. " No one was blamed, but it highlighted the risk of renewed war as the United States and Iran signaled they were ready to fight again.

There were no reported injuries or radiological release. The UAE, which has hosted air defenses and personnel from Israel, recently accused Iran of launching drone and missile attacks. Tensions have risen over the Strait of Hormuz, a vital energy waterway gripped by Iran, which is under a U.

The Details

Sponsor Message "For Iran, the Clock is Ticking, and they better get moving, FAST, or there won't be anything left of them," U. President Donald Trump posted on social media shortly after a call with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, whose attack on Iran with the U. sparked the war on Feb.

Trump has repeatedly set deadlines for Tehran and then backed off. "Our armed forces' fingers are on the trigger, while diplomacy is also continuing," Mohsen Rezaei, a military adviser to Iran's supreme leader, said on state television. The ceasefire remains tenuous, with diplomatic efforts for a more durable peace having faltered.

And fighting has heated up between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon despite a nominal ceasefire there. Barakah plant can provide a quarter of the UAE's energy The UAE Defense Ministry said three drones came over its western border with Saudi Arabia, with the other two intercepted. It was investigating who launched them.

What Experts Say

Iran and allied Shiite militias in Iraq have launched drone attacks targeting Gulf Arab states in the war. The attack, "whether carried out by the principal actor or through one of its proxies, represents a dangerous escalation," Anwar Gargash, a diplomatic adviser to the UAE president, said on social media. Sponsor Message Saudi Arabia condemned the attack, and later said it had intercepted three drones that entered from Iraqi airspace.

The $20 billion Barakah nuclear power plant was built by the UAE with the help of South Korea and went online in 2020. It is the only nuclear power plant in the Arab world and can provide a quarter of the energy needs in the UAE, a federation of seven sheikhdoms that is home to Dubai. The UAE's nuclear regulator said the fire didn't affect plant safety and "all units are operating as normal.

The development has drawn wide international attention, with diplomatic circles watching closely.