IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi has warned that last month's drone attack on the UAE's Barakah nuclear power plant was potentially more dangerous than the ongoing situation at Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia facility. The key difference: Barakah's reactors were operating at the time of the strike.
Grossi, speaking to Euronews after visiting the plant in Al Dhafra, Abu Dhabi, called the attack an "extremely serious and irresponsible act" and highlighted the risk of a radiological accident involving thousands of kilograms of nuclear material.
While the IAEA maintains a presence at Zaporizhzhia-occupied by Russian forces and in cold shutdown since late 2022-Grossi noted the reactors there are not running. "Barakah is operating. So, this makes it potentially even more dangerous," he said.
UAE Deputy Chairman of the Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation, Hamad Alkaabi, described the attack as a serious escalation and a clear violation of international law. Officials credited years of safety investments and a prompt, professional response from operator ENEC and regulators for preventing any radiation release or system failure.
The attack, which UAE authorities traced to Iraq, will be discussed at a special session of the IAEA Board of Governors in Vienna this Friday.