UAE Traces Mystery Nuclear Plant Drone Strike to Iraq – And Points a Finger at Tehran-Backed Militias

Drones that targeted the United Arab Emirates' only nuclear power plant last week were launched from Iraqi territory, the UAE said on Tuesday, pointing to a significant escalation by Tehran-backed groups in a war that has repeatedly hit Gulf energy infrastructure. On Sunday, an unclaimed drone struck an electrical generator near the Barakah plant in Abu Dhabi, triggering a fire but causing no injuries or radiation leak. Two other drones were intercepted.

Barakah is located near the borders with Saudi Arabia and Qatar, and the strike raised fears of consequences across the Gulf. "As part of the ongoing investigation into the blatant attack on the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant on 17 May 2026, technical tracking and monitoring confirmed that the three drones ... all originated from Iraqi territory," the Emirati defence ministry said. On Monday, the UAE had said it was investigating what it called "an unprovoked terrorist attack," stating that the drone that struck near Barakah entered the country's territory from the western border direction. It did not name the possible culprit at the time.

According to US officials, Tehran-backed militias in Iraq operating under the umbrella of the Popular Mobilisation Forces have struck US military bases in the country more than 600 times since the Iran war began. The paramilitary groups have repeatedly targeted Gulf states, drawing condemnation from Baghdad, which has struggled to rein them in. Among the most active is Kata'ib Hezbollah – a separate organisation from the Lebanese group of the same name – which has been designated a terrorist organisation by the US and has claimed or been linked to the attacks.

Iraqi government spokesman Bassem al-Awadi, without addressing the Emirati Defence Ministry's report, issued a statement saying that Baghdad "expresses its strong condemnation of the recent drone attacks targeting the UAE." He also emphasised 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 friendly nations.

Earlier on Tuesday, a prominent Emirati diplomat indirectly criticised the more hesitant countries in the region over the attacks his country has faced. "The confusion of roles during this treacherous Iranian aggression is baffling, encompassing the Gulf Arab region's surrounding states," wrote Anwar Gargash, diplomatic advisor to the president of the UAE, 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. In this most perilous phase in modern Gulf history, amid this perfidious aggression, the grey position remains more dangerous than outright inaction."

Iran's influence in Iraq expanded dramatically after the US-led invasion toppled Saddam Hussein in 2003, creating a power vacuum that Tehran filled by funding, arming and training a network of paramilitaries that have since grown into a formidable parallel security structure operating alongside – and often beyond the control of – the Iraqi state. Tehran has attacked the UAE and other Gulf nations since the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran on 28 February, particularly targeting energy and economic infrastructure. But the nuclear site had been off limits until Sunday. The Barakah plant is the UAE's largest source of electricity, producing around a quarter of national power. The Tehran regime had set its sights on it, however. In March, Iranian state-run media published a list of energy plants as potential targets, including Barakah.

So a drone came from Iraq. It struck near the Arab world's only nuclear power plant. No radiation leak, but a fire and a lot of nerves. The UAE says Tehran-backed militias are responsible. Baghdad condemns the attack but struggles to control the armed groups on its soil. And a senior Emirati diplomat is publicly frustrated with Gulf neighbours he sees as playing both victim and mediator. The war with Iran has spilled across borders before. Hitting a nuclear plant – even just an electrical generator – is a new threshold. The grey position, Gargash warns, is more dangerous than doing nothing. The question is whether anyone in the region is listening.

Written by Sandy van Dongen