DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) 鈥� The drones that targeted the United Arab Emirates鈥� all came from Iraq, the country鈥檚 Defense Ministry said on Tuesday, an indication that Iraqi Shiite militias backed by Iran were likely behind the assault.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack but Tehran and its militia proxies have launched drone attacks targeting Gulf Arab states since Israel and the United States began their on Feb. 28. In the past, the militias have provided Iran with a way to deflect blame over such attacks.
There were no reported injuries or radioactive leaks at Barakah after the attack, which Emirati officials said hit a generator on the facility’s perimeter.
But at an emergency U.N. Security Council session Tuesday, the head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog described his agency’s 鈥済rave concerns鈥� about the growing trend of targeting operating nuclear plants in the Iran war.
鈥淚n case of an attack on the Barakah nuclear power plant, a direct hit, could result in a very high rate of radioactivity to the environment,鈥� said Rafael Grossi, the International Atomic Energy Agency chief.
The UAE, which has hosted air defenses and , recently accused Iran of launching with the U.S. began April 8.
U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday he鈥檚 willing to give Iran a few days to make progress in peace negotiations before the U.S. resumes military strikes.
Later in the day, the to seek congressional approval or withdraw from the war, though it was not clear whether the legislation could gain final passage.
On Monday, Trump had said he was “an hour away from making the decision鈥� to launch a new round of strikes and end the fragile ceasefire . He has repeatedly and then backed off.
Tensions have risen over the , a vital while its ports remain under a U.S. naval blockade. A maritime data firm reported Tuesday that ship traffic through the strait more than doubled last week, but still remains a fraction of its prewar levels.
On Tuesday, the U.S. military’s Central Command said the blockade has stopped 89 commercial vessels since it started in mid-April.
Trump refrains from setting firm deadline for Iran negotiations
Trump didn鈥檛 set a firm deadline for Iran on Tuesday, at first saying he was giving Tehran 鈥渢wo or three days.鈥� He then said Iran could have until 鈥渕aybe early next week.鈥�
He also said 鈥渟erious negotiations鈥� were underway to end the war. Key sticking points include U.S. insistence that Iran reopen the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping.
There’s also broad disagreement over Iran’s nuclear program. Trump has said he wants to remove highly enriched uranium from Iran and prevent it from developing nuclear weapons. Iran says its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes.
Speaking to reporters at the White House on Tuesday, Vice President JD Vance said that a failure to stop Iran鈥檚 nuclear ambitions would lead to other countries pursuing atomic weapons.
鈥淚f you have every country in the world scrambling to try to get a nuclear weapon, it would make us all much less safe,鈥� Vance said. 鈥淎nd Iran would really be the first domino.鈥�
In the Cold War era, U.S. policymakers argued that if a country went communist it could cause neighboring nations to fall like dominoes, too, and the 鈥渄omino theory鈥� led to efforts, including military interventions, to contain the spread of communism.
Iraqi government condemns strikes on UAE
In Iraq, government spokesman Bassem al-Awadi, without mentioning the Emirati accusations, said that Baghdad “expresses its strong condemnation of the recent drone attacks targeting the UAE.”
鈥淲e also emphasize 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 sisterly and friendly nations,鈥� al-Awadi added.
There were three other drones that targeted the country over the last two days, the UAE added, without elaborating on their targets. Saudi Arabia, which had also condemned the nuclear plant attack, later said it had intercepted three drones that had entered the kingdom from Iraqi airspace.
The $20 billion Barakah nuclear power plant was built by the UAE with the help of South Korea and went online in 2020. It is the only nuclear power plant in the Arab world and can provide a quarter of the energy needs in the UAE, a federation of seven sheikhdoms.
Earlier Tuesday, a prominent Emirati diplomat elliptically criticized regional countries over the attacks his country has faced.
鈥淭he confusion of roles during this treacherous Iranian aggression is baffling, encompassing the Gulf Arab region鈥檚 surrounding states,鈥� Anwer Gargash wrote on X. 鈥淭he victim鈥檚 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.鈥�
Maritime firm says ship traffic increased last week through the Strait of Hormuz
According to the Lloyd鈥檚 List Intelligence maritime data firm, a total of 54 ships transited the strait the week of May 11, more than double the 25 vessels counted the week before.
Traffic through the strait remains a trickle compared to before the war, when 130 or more vessels passed it each day.
Last week’s traffic included 10 China-owned ships after Tehran said it would permit some Chinese vessels to transit, Lloyd鈥檚 said Tuesday on X. Two were carrying cooking gas headed for India.
Iran has imposed a murky vetting scheme for vessels trying to leave the Persian Gulf, which in some cases has included demanding payment and excludes US and Israeli vessels.
Iran depends on China as the sole remaining major customer for its heavily sanctioned oil. India is suffering a politically sensitive shortage of cooking gas supplies and has secured passage for some of its ships through diplomatic intervention with Iran.
___
Price reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Farnoush Amiri in New York; Joshua Boak in Washington; David McHugh in Frankfurt, Germany; Russ Bynum in Savannah, Georgia, and Giovanna Dell鈥橭rto in Minneapolis contributed to this report.
Copyright © 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
