Pakistan condemns drone attack on UAE nuclear plant

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Monday strongly condemned a drone attack on the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant in the United Arab Emirates, calling any deliberate targeting of nuclear facilities a grave violation of international law.

The attack, which occurred Sunday, caused a fire at the plant but no injuries or changes in radiation levels, according to the UAE defense ministry.

“Such reckless actions carry potentially catastrophic and irreversible consequences for human life, the environment, and regional as well as global peace and security,” Pakistan’s Foreign Office said in a statement.

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Pakistan Strongly Condemns the Drone Attack on the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant of the United Arab Emirates

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— Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) May 18, 2026

The statement noted that nuclear installations must never be targeted under any circumstances, adding that the inviolability of civilian nuclear infrastructure “was a well-established international norm and must be upheld without exception.”

The Foreign Office said the attack violated international humanitarian law, the U.N. Charter, and principles of nuclear safety enshrined in the statutes and resolutions of the International Atomic Energy Agency.

The drone strike came amid ongoing hostilities that began with U.S. and Israeli strikes against Iran on Feb. 28. Iran has repeatedly targeted the UAE and other Gulf states hosting U.S. military bases, hitting sites that include civilian and energy infrastructure, according to officials.

Pakistan reiterated its call for all parties to exercise maximum restraint and fulfill their obligations under international law, adding that “dialogue and diplomacy … remain the only viable path toward lasting peace, stability, and de-escalation in the region.”