Institute for the Study of War - Iran Update Special Report, May 17, 2026

 

May 17, 2026 Data Cutoff: 2:00 PM ET Ben Rezaei, Adham Fattah, Nidal Morrison, Carolyn Moorman, and Brian Carter DONATE As the Middle East crisis evolves, ISW urgently needs your support. Help us stay independent and impactful. TOPLINES The United States and Iran continue to pursue fundamentally incompatible negotiating positions. Unspecified sources familiar with the US response to the latest Iranian counterproposal told Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC)-affiliated Fars News Agency on May 17 that the United States laid out its five main conditions in response to the latest Iranian proposal. The reported US response rejected war reparations, required Iran to transfer 400 kilograms of uranium to the United States, limited Iran to one operational nuclear facility, and refused to release more than 25 percent of frozen Iranian assets. The war would only end if negotiations were successful, and there would be no guarantees that the United States or Israel would not attack Iran in the future. Likely Iranian or Iranian-backed forces launched three drones targeting the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), on May 17.[8] Regime media attempted to drive a wedge between the UAE and Saudi Arabia by blaming Saudi Arabia for the attack. Radiation levels at the plant remain normal. The Emirati Defense Ministry announced that its air defenses intercepted two drones while the other struck an electrical generator at the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant in Abu Dhabi, causing a fire. The Ministry noted that the attacks came from the direction of “the western border.” The International Atomic Energy Agency stated that the radiation levels at Barakah remained normal and that no casualties were reported. IRGC-affiliated media used the attack to attempt to drive a wedge between the UAE and other Gulf States by blaming Saudi Arabia for the attack. IRGC-affiliated media suggested on May 17 that Saudi Arabia launched the drones because it is the country to the west of the UAE. Armed Forces General Staff-affiliated Defa Press Agency claimed on May 17 that the United States and Israel launched attacks against ”regional countries” and then attributed the attacks to Iran. Iran has previously launched attacks against the UAE in an attempt to drive a wedge between the UAE and other Gulf states, likely in response to growing cooperation between the United States, Israel, and the UAE. READ THE FULL UPDATE KEY TAKEAWAYS The United States and Iran continue to pursue fundamentally incompatible negotiating positions. Unspecified sources familiar with the US response to the latest Iranian counterproposal told Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC)-affiliated Fars News Agency on May 17 that the United States laid out its five main conditions in response to the latest Iranian proposal. Likely Iranian or Iranian-backed forces launched three drones targeting the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), on May 17. Radiation levels at the plant remain normal. The drones approached the target from the west. Iran has previously used drones to approach a target from an unexpected direction to obscure its responsibility and create challenges for air defenses. IRGC-affiliated media used the attack to attempt to drive a wedge between the UAE and other Gulf States by blaming Saudi Arabia for the attack. CONTINUE READING EMAIL SUBSCRIPTION OPTIONS ISW offers customizable email subscription options. Click below to learn more and customize your preferences. MANAGE MY SUBSCRIPTION Website | Jobs | Internships Follow ISW on social media: Facebook | X | YouTube | Instagram | LinkedIn | Threads | Bluesky © 2026 Institute for the Study of War and AEI’s Critical Threats Project. All rights reserved. Donate online or by sending a check to the Institute for the Study of War at 1400 16th Street NW, Suite #515, Washington, DC 20036. Please consider including the Institute for the Study of War in your estate plans. ISW is a tax-exempt organization under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Donations are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law. ISW is a non-partisan, non-profit, public policy research organization. ISW advances an informed understanding of military affairs through reliable research, trusted analysis, and innovative education. We are committed to improving the nation's ability to execute military operations and respond to emerging threats in order to achieve US strategic objectives.

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