Iraq Reaffirms Strategic Partnership with UAE After Drone Attacks
Baghdad condemned the recent drone attacks targeting the UAE and stressed the importance of regional and international coordination
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - As tensions continue to ripple across the Middle East, the Iraqi government on Tuesday strongly condemned the recent drone attacks targeting the United Arab Emirates, reaffirming Baghdad’s commitment to preserving strategic ties with Abu Dhabi and supporting efforts aimed at safeguarding regional stability.
In an official statement issued on Tuesday, Iraqi government spokesperson Bassem al-Awadi said Baghdad “strongly condemns the attacks carried out by unmanned aerial vehicles against the UAE.”
Al-Awadi emphasized Iraq’s “full support for all efforts aimed at consolidating security and stability in the region,” while underscoring Baghdad’s determination to maintain and strengthen its close relations with the UAE.
The Iraqi government said it remains committed to its “brotherly and special relations” with the UAE and seeks to further deepen productive cooperation between the two countries.
According to al-Awadi, Baghdad will continue pursuing “constructive cooperation that serves joint Arab interests and the higher interests of both countries.”
He also reiterated Iraq’s long-standing position on regional security, stressing the need for effective regional and international coordination to prevent further military escalation.
“We stress the necessity of effective regional and international cooperation to prevent any military escalation or attempts that could undermine the stability of the region or threaten the security and sovereignty of brotherly and friendly countries,” the statement said.
The Iraqi statement came hours after the United Arab Emirates announced that the drones used in the recent attack on the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant had originated from Iraqi territory.
According to the Emirati Ministry of Defense, technical tracking and monitoring conducted during the investigation into the May 17 attack concluded that the three drones involved “all originated from Iraqi territory.”
The attack targeted the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant in Abu Dhabi emirate on Sunday. One drone struck an electrical generator near the facility and sparked a fire, while two other drones were intercepted before reaching their targets. Authorities confirmed that no casualties or radiation leaks were recorded.
The incident marked the first known attack targeting the Arab world’s only nuclear power plant since the current regional conflict escalated following US and Israeli strikes on Iran on Feb. 28.
The Barakah facility, located near the Saudi and Qatari borders, is considered the UAE’s largest electricity source and generates nearly a quarter of the country’s electricity supply.
The strike has heightened concerns over the vulnerability of critical infrastructure across the Gulf region as regional tensions continue to intensify.
The nuclear facility had also previously appeared on lists of potential targets circulated by Iranian media outlets earlier this year.
Separately, on May 17, Saudi Arabia’s official Defense Ministry spokesperson Turki al-Maliki announced that Saudi air defense forces intercepted and destroyed three drones after they entered the kingdom’s airspace from Iraq.