Qatar renews its condemnation of the attack on the Barakah station

The State of Qatar reiterated its strong condemnation of the attack that targeted the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant, stressing that targeting peaceful nuclear facilities constitutes a violation of international law, international humanitarian law, and the basic principles of nuclear safety and security.
This came in a statement delivered by the Ambassador of the State of Qatar to the Federal Republic of Austria and its Permanent Representative to the United Nations Office and international organizations in Vienna, Jassim Yaqoub Al Hammadi, during the emergency session of the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency, which was held at the request of a number of Arab member states in the Council to discuss the repercussions of the attack on the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant on May 17, 2026.
Ambassador Al Hammadi explained that the State of Qatar participated in the joint statement delivered by the Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Energy and Sustainability Affairs, Abdullah Ahmed Al-Alaa, on behalf of the United Arab Emirates, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the Kingdom of Bahrain, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the State of Qatar, and the State of Kuwait. The State of Qatar also participated in another statement presented during the session.
He expressed his thanks to the Arab member states of the Board of Governors, namely the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Arab Republic of Egypt, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and the Kingdom of Morocco, for their request to hold the emergency session and their leadership of its preparatory consultations.
Ambassador Al Hammadi renewed the State of Qatar’s condemnation in the strongest terms of the treacherous attack launched by armed factions from Iraq using drones that targeted the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant, reiterating the State of Qatar’s full solidarity with the government and people of the UAE.
He stressed that the security of the United Arab Emirates is an integral part of the security of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries and regional security in general.
He pointed out that targeting peaceful nuclear facilities constitutes a violation of international law, international humanitarian law, the Charter of the United Nations, and the basic principles of nuclear safety and security stipulated in the statute and resolutions of the International Atomic Energy Agency, stressing that the attack on an operating nuclear plant was extremely dangerous due to the serious risks it may pose to civilians, the environment, and regional and international security, and its repercussions may reach the level of radiological disasters resulting from the use of weapons.
He praised the rapid response of the International Atomic Energy Agency in following up on the situation resulting from the attack, analyzing and evaluating its effects, and supporting emergency preparedness and response capabilities, praising the continuing efforts made by the Agency and its Director-General in monitoring developments related to nuclear safety and security.
He welcomed the announcement by the Director-General of the Agency that nuclear sites and other facilities important for nuclear safety should not be the target of military activities under any circumstances.
The Ambassador of the State of Qatar stressed that the inviolability of civilian nuclear infrastructure represents an established international rule that should be respected without exception, and that civilian nuclear facilities should not be the target of attacks under any circumstances.
He added that protecting these facilities does not only represent a national responsibility, but rather a collective international responsibility that concerns the entire international community and requires a firm and joint stance from the international community and its institutions.
He stressed that the only sustainable way to achieve lasting peace and stability in the region and address the real roots of the crises lies in dialogue, diplomacy, and commitment to international law, the principles and objectives of the United Nations Charter, and relevant international resolutions.