Sri Lanka has expressed deep concern over the reported drone attack on the United Arab Emirates’ Barakah Nuclear Power Plant, warning that any damage to nuclear facilities could pose serious risks to civilians across the region.
In a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the government said such incidents were particularly worrying given that the region is home to large expatriate communities, including a substantial Sri Lankan diaspora.
The ministry noted that any threat to nuclear facilities could have far-reaching consequences for civilian populations and regional stability. Sri Lanka called on all parties involved to exercise maximum restraint and to prioritise dialogue and diplomatic engagement amid rising tensions.
The statement is Sri Lanka’s first formal diplomatic response to the drone strike on the Barakah complex, the Arab world’s first operational nuclear power station. The attack drew widespread international concern over the safety of civilian nuclear infrastructure in an active conflict zone.
The intervention reflects Colombo’s particular exposure to Gulf instability. Sri Lankan expatriates in the United Arab Emirates number in the hundreds of thousands and account for a significant share of the country’s annual remittance inflows, which are a key support for the rupee and the external accounts.
The MFA’s concern statement is the latest in a sequence of formal Sri Lankan diplomatic responses to the broader Iran–Israel–US confrontation. Earlier, the ministry conveyed concern over Israeli minister statements on a Gaza-bound flotilla including a Sri Lankan citizen.
The Barakah attack came amid warnings from Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps that any wider war would not stay contained to the region, and as President Trump signalled a pause to a planned strike on Iran following appeals from Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
