India, May 18 -- A drone strike near the UAE's Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant has sharply increased tensions in the Middle East and raised fears of a wider regional conflict involving Iran and the United States. The incident happened at a time when the fragile ceasefire between Washington and Tehran already appeared close to collapse.

The attack caused a fire near the nuclear facility but did not damage reactor systems or trigger radiation leaks. Still, the strike alarmed world powers because Barakah is the Arab world's first nuclear power plant and a key part of the UAE's energy security.

Countries including India, Saudi Arabia and Qatar condemned the incident, while the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) warned against military a...