By JON GAMBRELL and DAVID MCHUGH, Associated Press
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The drones that targeted the United Arab Emirates’ Barakah nuclear power plant all came from Iraq, the country’s Defense Ministry said Tuesday, likely signaling that Iranian-backed Shiite militias launched the assault.
Such militias launched repeated drone attacks targeting Gulf Arab states after Israel and the United States began their war against Iran back on Feb. 28. Militias in the past have provided Iran a means by which to deflect blame over such attacks.
There were no reported injuries or radiological release at Barakah after the attack, which Emirati officials said hit a generator on the facility’s perimeter.
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.
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 pre-war levels.
Iraqi government condemns strikes on UAE
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack on the UAE nuclear plant, though Iran and its proxies had been suspected.
Iraqi government spokesman Bassem al-Awadi, without addressing the Emirati Defense Ministry’s report, issued a statement saying that Baghdad “expresses its strong condemnation of the recent drone attacks targeting the UAE.”
“We also emphasize the importance of effective regional and international cooperation to prevent any escalation or harm to the stability of the region, or any targeting of the security and sovereignty of sisterly and friendly nations,” al-Awadi added.
There were three other drones that targeted the country over the last two days, the Emirati Defense Ministry added, without elaborating on their targets. Saudi Arabia, which had also condemned the nuclear plant attack, 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.
Earlier Tuesday, a prominent Emirati diplomat elliptically criticized regional countries over the attacks the country has faced.
“The confusion of roles during this treacherous Iranian aggression is baffling, encompassing the Gulf Arab region’s surrounding states,” Anwer Gargash wrote on X. “The victim’s role has merged with that of the mediator, and vice versa, while the friend has turned into a mediator instead of being a steadfast ally and supporter.”
Firm says ship traffic increased last week through the Strait of Hormuz
According to the Lloyd’s List Intelligence maritime data firm, a total of 54 ships transited the strait the week of May 11, more than double the 25 vessels counted the week before.
Traffic through the strait remains a trickle compared to before the war, when 130 or more vessels passed it each day.
Last week’s traffic included 10 China-owned ships after Tehran said it would permit some Chinese vessels to transit, Lloyd’s said Tuesday on X. Two were carrying cooking gas headed for India.
Iran has imposed a murky vetting scheme for vessels trying to leave the Persian Gulf, which in some cases has included demanding payment and excludes US and Israeli vessels.
The departure of the Chinese ships came as U.S. President Donald Trump visited China last week in an attempt to pressure Beijing with regard to Iran. Iran depends on China as the sole remaining major customer for its heavily sanctioned oil.
India, which is suffering a politically sensitive shortage of cooking gas supplies from the Gulf, has secured passage for some of its vessels through diplomatic intervention with Iran.
McHugh reported from Frankfurt, Germany. AP journalist Russ Bynum in Savannah, Georgia, contributed.