India condemned the drone attack near the UAE’s Barakah nuclear power plant, calling it a “dangerous escalation” and urging all sides to return to dialogue amid rising regional tensions
India on Monday voiced strong concern over the drone attack targeting the Barakah nuclear power plant in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), urging restraint and a return to diplomacy as tensions continue to rise in the region.
In a statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs, New Delhi described the strike on the
UAE’s only nuclear facility as unacceptable and warned against further escalation.
“India is deeply concerned at the attack targeting the Barakah nuclear facility in the UAE. Such actions are unacceptable and represent a dangerous escalation. We urgently call for restraint and a return to dialogue and diplomacy,” the statement said.
Drone strike on UAE
The remarks followed a suspected drone
strike on Sunday that triggered a fire near the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant in Abu Dhabi’s Al Dhafra Region.
According to the Abu Dhabi Media Office, the fire erupted at an electrical generator located outside the plant’s inner perimeter following the attack.
Authorities confirmed that no injuries were reported and said radiation safety levels remained unaffected.
The Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation stated that the facility’s operational systems continued functioning normally despite the incident.
Officials have not identified who carried out the suspected drone strike.
The UAE has faced several missile and drone-related incidents during the ongoing Israel-US and Iran conflict, with authorities previously blaming Iran-linked groups for attacks targeting energy infrastructure and maritime facilities.
The latest incident marks the first known strike aimed at the four-reactor Barakah Nuclear Power Plant since the outbreak of the US-Iran war.
UAE accelerates oil export plans
The attack comes as the UAE pushes ahead with efforts to reduce its reliance on the Strait of Hormuz for oil exports.
The Abu Dhabi Media Office said Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan had instructed ADNOC to accelerate work on a new pipeline project.
The planned pipeline is expected to double ADNOC’s export capacity through Fujairah and is due to begin operations next year.
Arabian Peninsula’s only nuclear power plant
Situated in Abu Dhabi’s western desert near the Saudi border, the Barakah facility was developed with support from South Korea at a cost of nearly $20 billion and became operational in 2020.
The Associated Press has described the site as the first and only nuclear power plant in the Arabian Peninsula.
Nuclear infrastructure has increasingly come under focus during armed conflicts in recent years, particularly after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Regional tensions keep nuclear facilities under spotlight
During the US-Iran conflict, Tehran repeatedly claimed that its Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant had come under attack. However, the Russian-operated facility was not directly hit and no radioactive leak was reported.
The latest incident also comes amid stalled diplomatic engagement between Washington and Tehran.
Although the US paused direct attacks last month, tensions escalated again after it later imposed a port blockade.
First Published:
May 18, 2026, 07:55 IST
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