UAE Official Links Barakah Attack to Hormuz Strait Threat

Dr. Anwar Gargash, Diplomatic Adviser to the UAE President, publicly connected a recent drone strike on the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant to Iran’s threats against the Strait of Hormuz.

Investigations confirmed the three drones detected on May 17 originated in Iraq. Two drones were intercepted, but one struck an electrical generator outside the plant’s inner perimeter.

The Barakah plant, located in the Al Dhafra region of Abu Dhabi, is the Arab world’s first commercial nuclear facility. It currently provides roughly 25% of the UAE’s electricity. Gargash characterized the attack as a deliberate criminal act and a violation of international law, referencing the 1977 Geneva Conventions and UN Security Council Resolution 487.

He sees parallels between disrupting oil tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz and directly targeting critical infrastructure like Barakah. The UAE built the $20 billion plant under a 2009 agreement with the United States, legally forgoing uranium enrichment to ensure non-proliferation. The source of the Iranian militias’ motivation remains unclear, and the region faces ongoing instability.