US President Donald Trump has issued a fresh warning to Iran following Tehran’s underwhelming response to the US’ five-point list for Iran talks.
“For Iran, the Clock is ticking, and they better get moving, FAST, or there won’t be anything left of them. TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE,” Mr Trump posted on his social media platform, Truth Social, on Sunday local time.
Meanwhile, a drone strike triggered a fire near a nuclear power station in the emirate of Abu Dhabi on Sunday, authorities said, reporting no injuries or impact on radiation levels.
The UAE’s ministry of defence said the drone that targeted the facility was one of three that “entered the country from the western border direction”.
The projectile struck “an electrical generator outside the inner perimeter of the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant in the Al Dhafra area”.
“Investigations are ongoing to determine the source of the attacks, and updates will be disclosed upon completion of the investigations,” the ministry added.
Iranian-backed militias armed with drones are based in Iraq, while Tehran’s allies in Yemen — the Houthi rebels — also possess combat-grade UAVs.
The Barakah Nuclear Power Plant began operations in 2020 and is 200kms west of the UAE’s capital Abu Dhabi, near the borders with Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
It provides up to a quarter of the oil-rich country’s electricity needs, the state-owned operator Emirates Nuclear Energy Company said in 2024.
“No injuries were reported, and there was no impact on radiological safety levels,” the Abu Dhabi Media Office said. “All precautionary measures have been taken, and further updates will be provided as they become available.
“The Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation (FANR) confirmed that the fire did not affect the safety of the power plant or the readiness of its essential systems, and that all units are operating as normal.”
Rafael Grossi, the head of the UN’s nuclear agency, condemned the attack. The International Atomic Energy Agency said in a social media post that Mr Grossi expressed “grave concern about the incident and says military activity that threatens nuclear safety is unacceptable”.
The United Arab Emirates was the second country in the region to build a nuclear power station, after Iran, and the first in the Arab world.
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