Jordan condemns attack near UAE nuclear plant

Jordan on Sunday condemned the drone attack targeting Abu Dhabi, which sparked a fire outside the inner perimeter of the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant.

Jordan’s Foreign Ministry described the attack as a blatant violation of the sovereignty of the United Arab Emirates and a threat to its security, stability, and territorial integrity.

Abu Dhabi authorities said earlier on Sunday that no injuries were reported and there was no impact on radiation levels after the fire that broke out.

The Abu Dhabi Media Office said in a post on X that authorities in Abu Dhabi had responded to a fire that broke out in an electrical generator outside the inner perimeter of the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant in the Al Dhafra region, caused by a drone strike, “with no injuries recorded and no impact on radiation safety levels.”

It added that all precautionary measures had been taken and that updates would be provided as they become available.

The Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation confirmed that the fire did not affect the plant’s safety or the operational readiness of its core systems, adding that all units were functioning normally.

Meanwhile, Rafael Grossi expressed “deep concern” following the strike on the facility.

The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency said on X that “any military activity threatening nuclear safety is unacceptable,” noting that the UAE had informed him that radiation levels at the Barakah plant remained normal and that no injuries had been reported.

The plant began operations in 2020 and is located about 200 kilometers west of Abu Dhabi, near the borders with Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

According to the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation, the state-owned operator of the facility, the plant supplies up to a quarter of the UAE’s electricity needs.

The UAE is the second country in the region to establish a nuclear power plant, after Iran, and the first in the Arab world.

The statement did not specify where the drone was launched from, although the UAE has recently accused Iran of being behind attacks on its energy infrastructure.

Iran launched retaliatory strikes across the Gulf following a February 28 attack by the United States and ‘Israel’, which killed the supreme leader of the Islamic Republic and several senior commanders, triggering a broader regional conflict.

Iran accused the UAE and other US Gulf allies of allowing American forces to launch attacks from their territories, allegations the UAE has strongly denied.

Washington and Tehran agreed to a ceasefire that took effect on April 8, though talks that produced the truce have since stalled.