Pakistan strongly condemns drone attack on UAE nuclear energy plant

• Targeting of nuclear facilities constituted violation of int’l law: FO.
• Nuclear installations must never be targeted: FO spokesperson.
• Pakistan reiterates call for all parties to exercise maximum restraint.

Pakistan has strongly condemned the drone attack on the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) that took place on Sunday, reiterating its full solidarity with the Emirati people and the government.

“Any deliberate targeting of nuclear facilities constituted a grave violation of international law, including international humanitarian law, the United Nations Charter, and the fundamental principles of nuclear safety and security enshrined in the Statute and resolutions of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA),” the Foreign Office said in a statement on Monday.

A day earlier, a drone strike caused a fire at the nuclear power plant in the United Arab Emirates, reporting no injuries or impact on radiation levels, according to the UAE defence ministry.

The defence ministry said two other drones had been “successfully” dealt with, and that the drones had been launched from the “western border”. It did not elaborate.

The drone that got through the UAE defences hit an electrical generator outside the inner perimeter of the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant, the Abu Dhabi Media Office said.

Radiological safety levels were unaffected, and there were no injuries, it said. UAE’s Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation later confirmed that the plant remained safe, with no radioactive material released from the strike.

During the war that began with US and Israeli strikes against Iran on February 28, Iran has repeatedly targeted the UAE and other Gulf states that host US military bases, hitting sites that include civilian and energy infrastructure.

In the statement, the FO noted that nuclear installations must never be targeted under any circumstances. “Such reckless actions carry potentially catastrophic and irreversible consequences for human life, the environment, and regional as well as global peace and security,” it remarked.

The spokesperson further said that the inviolability of civilian nuclear infrastructure was a well-established international norm and must be upheld without exception.

The FO reiterated Pakistan’s call for all parties to exercise maximum restraint, fulfil their obligations under international law and international humanitarian law, and avoid any actions that could further escalate tensions with consequences extending far beyond the region.

“Dialogue and diplomacy, consistent with the principles and purposes of the United Nations Charter, remain the only viable path toward lasting peace, stability, and de-escalation in the region,” the spokesperson added.