IAEA warns of nuclear disaster if Israel strikes Iran's Bushehr plant
UNITED NATIONS: The Middle East risks a nuclear catastrophe if Israel strikes Iran's southern nuclear facility in Bushehr, the head of the UN atomic watchdog warned on Friday (Jun 20).
Rafael Grossi, director of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), told the UN Security Council that while no radiation has been detected so far from Israel’s week-long military campaign against Iran, the risk remains high, especially if Bushehr is targeted.
“Countries of the region have reached out directly to me over the past few hours to express their concerns, and I want to make it absolutely and completely clear — in case of an attack on the Bushehr nuclear power plant, a direct hit would result in a very high release of radioactivity,” Grossi said.
The Bushehr reactor, located in southern Iran, is the Middle East’s first civilian nuclear plant and contains thousands of kilograms of nuclear material. Grossi warned that a direct hit or even damage to the electrical lines powering the site could trigger a meltdown.
POTENTIAL FOR REGIONAL IMPACT
In a worst-case scenario, Grossi said evacuations and shelter orders would need to be issued across areas within several hundred kilometers of Bushehr, potentially affecting population centers in the Gulf Arab states.
He added that civilians may also be required to take iodine and face disruptions in food supplies. The plant sits near a vital artery of the global economy, heightening the stakes of any possible fallout.
Construction on Bushehr began in the 1970s under Iran’s then pro-Western shah. While initially assisted by German firms, the Islamic Republic has worked with Russia to complete and maintain the facility since the 1990s.
CALL FOR DIPLOMACY
Grossi reiterated his appeal for diplomacy, saying the IAEA is prepared to mediate a deal and ensure Iran does not develop nuclear weapons.
“The IAEA can guarantee through a watertight inspection system that nuclear weapons will not be developed in Iran,” he said.
