UAE reveals that drone attack on its nuclear facility originated from Iraq, the country that hosts an Israeli military base?

The United Arab Emirates’ Ministry of Defence announced on Tuesday (20 May 2026) that the drones attacking the area around Barakah Nuclear Power Plant on Sunday originated from Iraq. The Emirati government stressed that it reserves full rights to take all necessary measures to protect sovereignty and national security, in accordance with international law and the charter. Earlier, on Sunday, the Abu Dhabi government media office stated that authorities had dealt with a fire at a generator outside the plant’s core area at Barakah in the Al Dhafra region. According to Al Jazeera, official explanations say the fire was caused by a drone attack. There were no casualties or impact on radiation safety levels, and all prevention and safety procedures had been carried out. In a statement posted on the X platform, the Emirati Ministry of Defence said that tracking and technical monitoring results related to the brazen attack on Barakah on 17 May 2026 show that all three drones used originated from Iraq. The ministry also revealed that over the last 48 hours, the UAE air defence system had detected and intercepted six enemy drones attempting to target civilian areas and critical facilities in the country. The military stated that air defence forces had intercepted and neutralised all targets with high readiness and efficiency, without casualties or damage to critical infrastructure.