US-Iran news highlights: Oil surges over $110 per barrel after attack on UAE's Barakah nuclear power plant

Abu Dhabi news LIVE: The latest drone attack in the UAE comes amid stalled negotiations between the United States and Iran. The US halted its attacks last month but later imposed a port blockade.

Iran has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, which previously handled one-fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas supplies before the US and Israel launched attacks on February 28.

The disruption to shipping has caused the biggest oil supply crisis in history and driven oil prices higher.

Talks aimed at ending the war have remained stalled since last week after Iran and the US rejected each other's latest proposals.

Abu Dhabi news LIVE: Iranian media said Sunday that the United States had failed to make any concrete concessions in its latest response to Iran's proposed agenda for negotiations to end the war.

The Fars news agency said Washington had presented a five-point list which included a demand for Iran to keep only one nuclear site in operation and transfer its stockpile of highly enriched uranium to the United States.

The US also refused to release "even 25 percent" of Iran's frozen assets abroad or pay any reparations for the damage inflicted on Iran during the war which broke out on February 28, according to Fars.

Abu Dhabi news LIVE: The UN atomic watchdog, the IAEA, on Sunday expressed "grave concern" over a drone strike near a United Arab Emirates nuclear plant that triggered a fire, though it said that radiation levels remained normal.

The International Atomic Energy Agency on X said its head, Rafael Grossi, voiced the concern and added: "Military activity that threatens nuclear safety is unacceptable."

"The IAEA has been informed by the UAE that radiation levels at the Barakah NPP (nuclear power plant) remain normal and no injuries were reported," the agency said.

Abu Dhabi news LIVE: Built at a cost of $20 billion, the nuclear power plant was developed by the UAE with support from South Korea and began operations in 2020.

It remains the only nuclear power plant on the Arabian Peninsula and can meet one-quarter of the UAE's energy requirements. It is also the first commercial nuclear power plant in the Arab world.

The facility is located 200 kilometres west of Abu Dhabi, the capital of the UAE, near the borders of Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

Abu Dhabi news LIVE: Iran has accused the UAE and other US allies in the Gulf of allowing US forces to carry out attacks from their territory. The UAE has angrily denied Iranian reports that it has actively carried out attacks of its own.

Washington and Tehran agreed a truce on April 8 but peace negotiations have stalled and sporadic attacks have continued.

Abu Dhabi news LIVE: The UAE did not say who was behind the drone attack, but the United Arab Emirates has recently accused Iran of being behind attacks on its energy and economic infrastructure. The plant began operations in 2020 and is 200 kilometres 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.

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.

Abu Dhabi news LIVE: The attack on the Barakah Nuclear Plant in UAE's Abu Dhabi comes as Iran still has a chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway where a fifth of the world's oil and natural gas passes through before the war, disrupting global energy supplies. Meanwhile, America continues to block Iranian ports in response as negotiations to solidify the ceasefire have failed to advance.

US President Donald Trump has suggested hostilities could resume, and Iranian state television has repeatedly aired segments with anchors holding Kalashnikov-style rifles in an effort to prepare the public for war. Meanwhile, fire exchanges between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon have been rising in recent days as well, threatening a separate ceasefire there.

via AP

Abu Dhabi news LIVE: A drone strike targeted the United Arab Emirates' Barakah nuclear power plant on Sunday, setting an electrical generator ablaze on its perimeter and again straining the shaky ceasefire in the Iran war.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, which caused no radiological release nor injuries, authorities in the UAE's capital, Abu Dhabi, said. However, suspicion immediately fell on Iran, which has been increasingly threatening the UAE over recent days as the country hosted Israeli Iron Dome missile defences and troops during the war.

via AP

US Iran war LIVE: The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has said that it has been informed by the UAE authorities that radiation levels following the drone attack-linked fire remain normal and that no injuries have been reported. It also said that they are following the situation closely and are ready to provide assistance if needed.

US Iran war LIVE: Iran media has said that there are 'no tangible concessions' in US response to Iran proposal.

via AFP

Abu Dhabi news LIVE: Sunday’s strike marked the first time the four-reactor Barakah plant has been targeted in the Iran war. The plant sits in the far western deserts of Abu Dhabi, near the border with Saudi Arabia. The UAE signed a strict deal with the U.S. over the power plant, known as a “123 agreement,” in which it agreed to give up domestic uranium enrichment and reprocessing of spent fuel to halt any proliferation fears. Its uranium comes from abroad.

via AP

Abu Dhabi news LIVE: Nuclear power plants increasingly have found themselves targeted in wars in recent years, first during Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. During the Iran war, Tehran repeatedly claimed its Bushehr nuclear power plant came under attack, though there was no direct damage to its Russian-run reactor nor any radiological release.

There have been several instances of attacks around the Strait of Hormuz and Persian Gulf countries over the past several weeks. Talks between Iran and the U.S. are at a standstill as the shaky ceasefire threatens to collapse and tip the Middle East back into open warfare, prolonging the worldwide energy crisis sparked by the conflict.

via AP

Abu Dhabi news LIVE: The $20 billion Barakah nuclear power plant was built by the UAE with the help of South Korea and went online in 2020. It’s the first and only nuclear power plant on the Arabian Peninsula and can provide a quarter of all the energy needs in the UAE, a federation of seven sheikhdoms. It's also the first commercial nuclear power plant in the Arab world.

Abu Dhabi news LIVE: No one has so far claimed responsibility for the drone attack on Abu Dhabi's Barakah Nuclear Plant. The drone attack triggered a fire which caused no radiological release nor injuries, authorities in the UAE's capital, Abu Dhabi, said. However, suspicion immediately fell on Iran, which has been increasingly threatening the UAE over recent days as the country hosted Israeli Iron Dome missile defenses and troops during the war, AP reported.

Abu Dhabi news LIVE: The Abu Dhabi media office on Sunday confirmed that a drone strike at Barakah Nuclear Power Plant in the Al Dhafra Region caused a fire, but no injuries were reported and that the radiation levels remain safe. “Authorities in Abu Dhabi responded to a fire incident that broke out in an electrical generator outside the inner perimeter of the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant in the Al Dhafra Region, caused by a drone strike. No injuries were reported, and there was no impact on radiological safety levels.” it said in a post on X.

“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.”

Abu Dhabi news LIVE: The radiological safety levels remained normal and no injuries were reported after a drone attack on Abu Dhabi's Barakah Nuclear Power Plant in Al Dhafra region. A drone strike on an electrical generator outside the inner perimeter of the nuclear plant triggered a fire on Sunday afternoon, authorities said.

Abu Dhabi news LIVE: Authorities in Abu Dhabi responded to a fire caused by a drone strike on an electrical generator outside the inner perimeter of the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant in the Al Dhafra Region, the Abu Dhabi Media Office said on Sunday.

No injuries were reported, radiological safety levels were unaffected and the Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation confirmed the plant's essential systems are operating normally.

US Iran war LIVE: The South Korean ministry on Sunday said that South Korea and Iran will keep communication to ensure safety in Strait of Hormuz, Reuters reported.

US Iran war LIVE: South Korean foreign minister Cho Hyun has asked for Iran's position on a recent attack on a South Korean cargo vessel near the Strait of Hormuz, in a phone call with his Iranian counterpart on Sunday, Seoul's foreign ministry said.

A South Korean official has previously said the possibility that an entity other than Iran was responsible for the attack is low.

via Reuters

US Iran war LIVE: : Iran said that it will no longer allow "enemy" military equipment to transit through the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, according to Iran's First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref, as reported by Al Jazeera.

Aref said, "We had given up our right of sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz, and we previously allowed the passage of military equipment that was intended to be used against us through the Strait of Hormuz. We will not permit that again."

Earlier on Saturday, Head of the Iranian Parliament's National Security Committee Ebrahim Azizi said that Iran has prepared a "professional mechanism" to regulate maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz through a designated route, which will be unveiled soon.

In a post on X, Azizi said the proposed mechanism has been developed within the framework of Iran's national sovereignty and with the aim of ensuring the security of international trade. He further stated that only commercial vessels and parties cooperating with Iran would be permitted to benefit from the mechanism. Azizi also said that the proposed route would remain closed to operators associated with the so-called "freedom project" (United States).

"Iran, within the framework of its national sovereignty and the guarantee of international trade security, has prepared a professional mechanism to manage traffic in the Strait of Hormuz along a designated route, which will be unveiled soon. In this process, only commercial vessels and parties cooperating with Iran will benefit from it. The necessary fees will be collected for the specialized services provided under this mechanism. This route will remain closed to the operators of the so-called 'freedom project'," said the 'X' post from Azizi.

via ANI

US Iran war LIVE: The Israel Defense Forces said it has killed two Hamas "operatives" involved in the October 7 "attacks" and carried out extensive strikes against Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon amid continuing regional tensions.

In a statement issued through its official Telegram channel on Saturday, the IDF said that over the past two weeks, it carried out two separate strikes in the northern Gaza Strip targeting Hamas operatives identified as "Hamer Iyad Muhammad Almatouk" and "Khaled Muhammad Salem Joudeh".

According to the military, the two men had "infiltrated Israeli territory during the brutal October 7th massacre" and had recently attempted to carry out attacks against Israeli troops operating in the area.

"The terrorists posed an immediate threat to the troops and were eliminated in precise strikes," the IDF said.

The military also stated that earlier this week, it killed "Abd al-Rahman Mahmoud Jumaa Shaafi", described as a Hamas operative from the Bureij Battalion who had allegedly been involved in planning attacks against Israeli forces in central Gaza. (ANI)

US Iran war LIVE: Iran chief negotiator Ghalibaf appointed to oversee ties with China, says media

US Iran war LIVE: Oil prices gained more than 3% on Friday, after comments by U.S. President Donald Trump and Iran's foreign minister further dented hopes of a deal to end ship attacks and seizures around the Strait of Hormuz.

Brent crude futures settled at $109.26 a barrel, up $3.54, or 3.35%. U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures finished at $105.42 a barrel, up $4.25, or 4.2%.

Over the week, Brent has climbed 7.84% and WTI 10.48% on uncertainty over the shaky ceasefire in the Iran war.

"The tone between the U.S. and Iran has once again become significantly more confrontational. While the ceasefire holds, hopes for a swift reopening of the Strait of Hormuz have faded," Commerzbank analysts said.

Iran has "no trust" in the United States and is interested in negotiating only if Washington is serious, Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Friday, adding that Iran is prepared to go back to fighting but also prepared for diplomatic solutions. (Reuters)

US Iran war LIVE: Head of the Iranian Parliament's National Security Committee Ebrahim Azizi on Saturday said that Iran has prepared a "professional mechanism" to regulate maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz through a designated route, which will be unveiled soon.

In a post on X, Azizi said the proposed mechanism has been developed within the framework of Iran's national sovereignty and with the aim of ensuring the security of international trade. He further stated that only commercial vessels and parties cooperating with Iran would be permitted to benefit from the mechanism. Azizi also said that the proposed route would remain closed to operators associated with the so-called "freedom project" (United States).

"Iran, within the framework of its national sovereignty and the guarantee of international trade security, has prepared a professional mechanism to manage traffic in the Strait of Hormuz along a designated route, which will be unveiled soon. In this process, only commercial vessels and parties cooperating with Iran will benefit from it. The necessary fees will be collected for the specialized services provided under this mechanism. This route will remain closed to the operators of the so-called 'freedom project'," said the 'X' post from Azizi. (ANI)

US Iran war LIVE: Israel's military said Saturday that one of its soldiers had been killed in combat in southern Lebanon, bringing its losses to 21 personnel since the war with Hezbollah began in early March. (AFP)