IN BRIEFThe UAE's defence ministry said the drone that targeted the facility was one of three.Trump is expected to meet top national security advisers to discuss further attacks on Iran.A drone strike caused a fire at a nuclear power plant in the United Arab Emirates, officials there said overnight, as US President Donald Trump said Iran must act "fast" after efforts to end the US-Israeli war on Iran appeared to have stalled.Emirati officials said they were investigating the source of the strike and that the UAE had the full right to respond to such "terrorist attacks".The UAE defence ministry said two other drones had been "successfully" dealt with, and that the drones had been launched from the "western border." It did not elaborate.The drone that got through hit an electrical generator outside the inner perimeter of the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant, the Abu Dhabi Media Office said. Radiological safety levels were unaffected and there were no injuries, it said.The International Atomic Energy Agency said emergency diesel generators were providing power to the plant's "unit 3", and called for "maximum military restraint" near any nuclear power plant, adding that it was following the situation closely.During the war that began with US and Israeli strikes against Iran on 28 February, Iran has repeatedly targeted the UAE and other Gulf states that host US military bases.Iran stepped up such attacks on the UAE earlier this month after Trump announced a naval mission to try to open the Strait of Hormuz, which Trump retreated from after 48 hours.US-Iran talks in diplomatic deadlockMore than five weeks after a tenuous ceasefire in the conflict took effect, US and Iranian demands remain far apart despite diplomatic efforts to end the war and reopen the strait, the world's most important shipping route for oil and gas.Washington has called for Tehran to dismantle its nuclear program and lift its hold on the strait. Iran has demanded compensation for war damage, an end to a US blockade of Iranian ports and a halt to fighting on all fronts, including in Lebanon, where Israel is carrying out a bombing campaign and ground invasion.Trump, whose harsh rhetoric has failed to break the stalemate, said in a post on Truth Social: "For Iran, the Clock is Ticking, and they better get moving, FAST, or there won’t be anything left of them. TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE!"Trump is expected to meet top national security advisers on Tuesday (local time) to discuss options for military action regarding Iran, Axios reported.Trump held talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping this week without securing an indication from China that it would help resolve the conflict and has previously threatened to resume attacks if Iran does not agree to a deal.A senior spokesperson for the Iranian armed forces, Abolfazl Shekarchi, said on Sunday that if Trump's threats were carried out, the US would "face new, aggressive, and surprise scenarios, and sink into a self-made quagmire".Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said the US and Israel had tried to shift the blame for destabilising energy markets following their "unprovoked military aggression against Iran".For the latest from SBS News, download our app and subscribe to our newsletter.
UAE reports drone strike at nuclear power plant as Trump says 'clock is ticking' for Iran
A drone strike has targeted the United Arab Emirates' sole nuclear power plant, sparking a fire, officials say.










