Drone strikes UAE nuclear plant as US and Iran signal they are prepared
to resume war
[May 18, 2026]
By JON GAMBRELL and SAMY MAGDY
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A drone strike sparked a fire on the
edge of the United Arab Emirates’ sole nuclear power plant on Sunday in
what authorities called an “unprovoked terrorist attack.” No one was
blamed, but it highlighted the risk of renewed war as the United States
and Iran signaled they were ready to fight again.
There were no reported injuries or radiological release. The UAE, which
has hosted air defenses and personnel from Israel, recently accused Iran
of launching drone and missile attacks. Tensions have risen over the
Strait of Hormuz, a vital energy waterway gripped by Iran, which is
under a U.S. naval blockade.
“For Iran, the Clock is Ticking, and they better get moving, FAST, or
there won’t be anything left of them,” U.S. President Donald Trump
posted on social media shortly after a call with Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu of Israel, whose attack on Iran with the U.S. sparked the war
on Feb. 28.
Trump has repeatedly set deadlines for Tehran and then backed off.
“Our armed forces' fingers are on the trigger, while diplomacy is also
continuing,” Mohsen Rezaei, a military adviser to Iran’s supreme leader,
said on state television.
The ceasefire remains tenuous, with diplomatic efforts for a more
durable peace having faltered. And fighting has heated up between Israel
and the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon despite a
nominal ceasefire there.
Barakah plant can provide a quarter of the UAE's energy
The UAE Defense Ministry said three drones came over its western border
with Saudi Arabia, with the other two intercepted. It was investigating
who launched them. Iran and allied Shiite militias in Iraq have launched
drone attacks targeting Gulf Arab states in the war.
The attack, “whether carried out by the principal actor or through one
of its proxies, represents a dangerous escalation,” Anwar Gargash, a
diplomatic adviser to the UAE president, said on social media.
Saudi Arabia condemned the attack, and later said it had intercepted
three drones that entered from Iraqi airspace.
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 that is home to
Dubai.
The UAE’s nuclear regulator said the fire didn’t affect plant safety and
“all units are operating as normal.” The International Atomic Energy
Agency, the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog, said the strike caused a
fire in an electrical generator and one reactor was being powered by
emergency diesel generators.
It's the first time the four-reactor Barakah plant has been targeted in
the war. Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels, whom the UAE has battled as
part of a Saudi-led coalition, claimed to have targeted the plant while
it was under construction in 2017, which Abu Dhabi denied.
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People walk past a mural depicting a U.S. aircraft carrier under
missile attack in downtown Tehran, Iran, Sunday, May 17, 2026. (AP
Photo/Vahid Salemi)
The UAE's nuclear program is different from Iran's and Israel's
The UAE signed a strict deal with the U.S. over the nuclear power
plant, known as a “123 agreement,” in which it agreed to forego
domestic uranium enrichment and reprocessing of spent fuel to ease
any proliferation concerns. Its uranium comes from abroad.
That's very different from the nuclear program in Iran that is at
the heart of long-running tensions with the United States and
Israel.
Iran insists its program is for peaceful purposes, but it has
enriched its uranium close to weapons-grade levels and is widely
suspected of having had a military component to its program until at
least 2003. It has often restricted the work of U.N. inspectors,
including since the 12-day war with Israel last year.
Israel is widely believed to be the only nuclear-armed country in
the region, but has neither confirmed nor denied having atomic
weapons. Iran struck near Israel's Dimona nuclear facility during
the war.
Nuclear plants have increasingly been targeted in wars in recent
years, including during Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine that
began in 2022. During the Iran war, Tehran repeatedly claimed its
Bushehr nuclear power plant came under attack, though there was no
direct damage to its Russian-run reactor or any radiological
release.
Ceasefire appears increasingly shaky
Israel is coordinating with the U.S. about a possible resumption of
attacks, said two people familiar with the situation, including an
Israeli military officer. They spoke on condition of anonymity
because they were discussing confidential military preparations.
Speaking to his Cabinet on Sunday, Netanyahu said “our eyes are also
open” when it comes to Iran, and “we are prepared for any scenario.”
On Iranian state TV, presenters on at least two channels appeared
armed during live programs.
One of them, Hossein Hosseini, received basic firearms training from
a masked member of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard. Hosseini
mimed firing a shot at the flag of the UAE.
On another channel, Mobina Nasiri said a weapon had been sent to her
from a gathering in Tehran’s Vanak Square. “From this platform, I
declare that I am ready to sacrifice my life for this country,” she
said.
___
Magdy reported from Cairo. Associated Press writers Amir Vahdat in
Tehran, Iran, and Sam Mednick in Tel Aviv, Israel, contributed.
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