NEW YORK CITY(RAHNUMA): The UN Security Council on Tuesday condemned what it described as an “egregious drone attack” that targeted an electricity generator outside the inner perimeter of the Barakah nuclear power plant in the UAE.
The strike on May 17 posed serious risks to civilian lives, critical infrastructure and the environment, it warned.
Without naming Iran, council members said the attack represented “a flagrant violation of international law,” and voiced deep alarm over what they described as a dangerous escalation involving civilian and nuclear-related infrastructure.
“The members of the Security Council condemn in the strongest terms the egregious drone attack,” they said in a statement, adding that attacks or threats against peaceful nuclear facilities were unacceptable and must end immediately.
They also called for the “immediate and permanent cessation of all attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure in the United Arab Emirates.”
The council referenced Security Council resolutions and resolutions adopted by the General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency that noted longstanding international concern about attacks against civilian nuclear sites.
The statement further acknowledged comments from the director general of the IAEA, Rafael Mariano Grossi, who expressed “grave concern” over the incident in the UAE and warned that “military activity that threatens nuclear safety is unacceptable.”
Reaffirming the importance of nuclear security standards, the council called on all states to uphold the highest levels of nuclear safety, security and safeguards, and to avoid any actions that could jeopardize nuclear operations or create wider regional instability.
Council members also underscored the fact that the Barakah facility was “designed, constructed and is operated in accordance with the highest international standards” under the supervision of the UAE’s Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation, and in line with IAEA safety requirements.
The plant, which is in Abu Dhabi’s Al-Dhafra region and officially began operating in 2021, is the first commercial nuclear power station in the Arab World and a key part of the UAE’s long-term energy strategy.
