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Topic:Unrest, Conflict and War
Mon 18 May 2026 at 6:31am
A drone started a fire near the Barakah nuclear power plant in Abu Dhabi's western desert, authorities say. (AO: Arun Girija/Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation/WAM (File))
Hello, ABC Middle East correspondent Matthew Doran here in Jerusalem.
This is our weekly update on what's happening in the Middle East war. It's now 79 days since it began, and five weeks since a ceasefire was announced.
While the United Arab Emirates has launched an investigation into where the drone attack came from, many will be immediately pointing the finger at Iran, given the hundreds of missiles and drones it has fired at the Gulf state during the war.
Perhaps, there's an attempt by Tehran to point the finger at other countries' nuclear capabilities at a time when it's being told it needs to curb its own ambitions in that space.
Some have seen its decision in March to fire missiles towards Dimona, close to Israel's generally unspoken-of nuclear facility in the country's south, in the same light.
It has been more than two months since the US and Israel launched strikes in Iran. But the impact of the conflict continues globally.
The UAE's insistence that it has the right to forcefully respond to threats against its national security is further evidence, as if it is needed, of how precarious the situation in the region is, now more than five weeks since the sudden ceasefire between the US and Iran was announced.
Last week, it was reported that the UAE had launched attacks on Iran, shifting its position from simply a target of Iranian strikes to a combatant in the broader war, at a time when its ties with Israel seemed to be getting deeper and were coming under greater scrutiny.
Saudi Arabia, a country with its own fraught relationship with the UAE, was also said to have fired on Iran after it was targeted by missiles and drones from Tehran.
The speculation that the US and Israel are preparing to restart the war has been simmering for weeks, although it may be seen in a different light now that Trump has met Xi and flown back across the Pacific without any explicit involvement from Beijing in trying to use its influence to convince Iran to accept a deal.
It's hard to take some of the US president's rhetoric, such as the "clock is ticking", seriously given it's a variation on a theme he's trotted out on social media for more than a month now.
But any further attacks on sensitive sites could tip the balance.
It's quite separate to the Iran war, but something to keep note of: The ships sailing as part of the Global Sumud Flotilla that weren't intercepted by the Israeli military last month off the coast of the Greek Island of Crete have set off from Türkiye. There are 11 Australians among the crew of the 52 boats.
They're trying to break Israel's almost two-decade maritime blockade of Gaza and highlight the humanitarian crisis in the war-ravaged strip. Based on what happened to their colleagues in late April, it will not be surprising if they experience the same fate.
They were approached in international waters in the middle of the night by the Israeli navy, with the crew detained and dropped off in Greece, and their vessels either seized or abandoned, some rendered inoperable.
At the time, the flotilla organisers accused Israel of piracy on the high seas, and some countries — including Italy, which has previously supported Israel — took a very firm stance criticising its actions.
Thanks for joining me. I'll see you at the same time next week.
Analysis by Matthew Doran
Analysis by Matthew Doran
Topic:Unrest, Conflict and War
Topic:Unrest, Conflict and War
Topic:Unrest, Conflict and War
Mon 18 May 2026 at 6:31am
Mon 18 May 2026 at 10:41am
Topic:Unrest, Conflict and War
Analysis by Michael Janda
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Topic:Unrest, Conflict and War
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Foreign Affairs
Iran, Islamic Republic Of
Israel
United States
Unrest, Conflict and War
World Politics
Topic:Unrest, Conflict and War
Analysis by Michael Janda
Topic:Courts
Topic:Unrest, Conflict and War
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Topic:Explainer
Wed 3 Jun 2026 at 5:29am
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Wed 3 Jun 2026 at 5:20am
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