By JON GAMBRELL and MICHELLE PRICE

 

ABU DHABI, 21 May. - (ANA) - The drones that targeted the United Arab Emirates’ Barakah nuclear power plant all came from Iraq, the country’s Defense Ministry said on Tuesday, an indication that Iraqi Shiite militias backed by Iran were likely behind the assault.

 

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack but Tehran and its militia proxies have launched drone attacks targeting Gulf Arab states since Israel and the United States began their war against Iran on Feb. 28. In the past, the militias have provided Iran with a way to deflect blame over such attacks.

 

There were no reported injuries or radioactive leaks at Barakah after the attack, which Emirati officials said hit a generator on the facility’s perimeter.

 

But at an emergency U.N. Security Council session Tuesday, the head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog described his agency’s “grave concerns” about the growing trend of targeting operating nuclear plants in the Iran war.

 

“In case of an attack on the Barakah nuclear power plant, a direct hit, could result in a very high rate of radioactivity to the environment,” said Rafael Grossi, the International Atomic Energy Agency chief.

 

The UAE, which has hosted air defenses and personnel from Israel, recently accused Iran of launching drone and missile attacks even after its ceasefire with the U.S. began April 8.

 

U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday he’s willing to give Iran a few days to make progress in peace negotiations before the U.S. resumes military strikes.

 

Later in the day, the Senate advanced a bill aiming to force Trump to seek congressional approval or withdraw from the war, though it was not clear whether the legislation could gain final passage.

 

On Monday, Trump had said he was “an hour away from making the decision” to launch a new round of strikes and end the fragile ceasefire before he called off the attack. He has repeatedly set deadlines for Tehran and then backed off.

 

Tensions have risen over the Strait of Hormuz, a vital energy waterway gripped by Iran while its ports remain under a U.S. naval blockade. A maritime data firm reported Tuesday that ship traffic through the strait more than doubled last week, but still remains a fraction of its prewar levels. 

 

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.  - (ANA) - 

 

AB/ANA/21 May 2026 - - -