A drone strike targeted the UAE's Barakah Nuclear Power Plant Sunday, sparking a fire on the facility’s perimeter without causing injuries or any radiological leak, but underscoring fears of renewed conflict as the fragile Iran cease-fire remains under strain.
No one immediately claimed responsibility, and the UAE did not blame anyone. It has, however, accused Iran of launching multiple drone and missile attacks in recent days as tensions have risen over the Strait of Hormuz, a vital energy waterway that Iran still has in a chokehold.
The United States is blockading Iranian ports and diplomatic efforts aimed at a more durable peace have repeatedly faltered. The UAE has, meanwhile, hosted air defenses and personnel from Israel, which joined the U.S. in the Feb. 28 attack that sparked the war.
U.S. President Donald Trump has suggested hostilities could resume, and Iranian state television has repeatedly aired segments with anchors holding Kalashnikov-style rifles in an effort to prepare the public for war.
Fighting has also heated up between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah armed group in Lebanon despite a nominal cease-fire there, further straining the wider truce.
