UN watchdog warns of ‘serious’ nuclear disaster if Israel strikes Iran’s Bushehr reactor

The head up of the UN’s atomic guard dog has issued a tomb warning almost the potential for a nuclear disaster in the Middle East if Israel targets Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant. 

While no radioactive release has yet been detected as of now, an attack on Bushehr could have “catastrophic consequences,” Rafael Grossi, Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), told an emergency UN Security Council meeting on Friday, reported AFP.

“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 cautioned. Follow Iran Israel war live updates.

The conflict, which started on June 13 after Israel's surprise attack, has escalated rapidly. Tel Aviv have targeted Iran’s nuclear and military sites, top generals, and scientists. 

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At least 657 people — including 263 civilians — have been killed in Iran and more than 2,000 wounded, according to a Washington-based Iranian human rights organization.

In retaliation, Iran has launched 450 missiles and 1,000 drones at Israel, according to Israeli military estimates. At least 24 people have been killed and hundreds injured in Israel.

Bushehr, located in southern Iran, is the Middle East’s first civilian nuclear reactor and holds thousands of kilograms of nuclear material, said IAEA chief. An attack, or even damage to the power supply lines feeding the reactor, could trigger a meltdown with wide-reaching consequences, he added.

“In a worst case scenario,” he said, “evacuations and orders to take shelter would need to be issued for areas within several hundred kilometers of Bushehr,” covering parts of the Gulf Arab monarchies, which is a vital region for global oil trade. 

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Populations would also need to consume iodine to combat radiation exposure and could face restrictions on food supplies.

Grossi also warned that even attacks short of direct hits — such as on electric lines — could disable the cooling systems and lead to a meltdown. “This is the nuclear site in Iran where the consequences could be most serious,” he said.

The fear regarding a potential nuclear disaster is on the rise as Israel's PM Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to continue the campaign against Iran’s nuclear program. “We will fight as long as necessary to destroy Iran’s nuclear program,” he declared, calling it an “existential danger.”

Iran maintains that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes. 

However, Tehran remains the only non-nuclear-weapon state enriching uranium up to 60% — a level just short of weapons-grade. This continues to alarm both Israel and Western powers.

US President Donald Trump had earlier issued a stern warning to Tehran, demanding a complete halt to its uranium enrichment program. Trump gave Iran a two-week ultimatum to comply, warning that failure to do so could lead to direct US involvement in the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict.

Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin, after a phone call with Netanyahu, said Israel has assured him that Russian personnel working at the Bushehr plant would not be harmed. Moscow has long had a strategic stake in Iran’s nuclear energy infrastructure.

While Bushehr has not yet been targeted, Israel’s airstrikes have hit other nuclear sites, including the Natanz enrichment facility, centrifuge workshops near Tehran, labs in Isfahan, and the Arak heavy water reactor.

Grossi reiterated his earlier position that such sites must not be considered military targets.

The IAEA reported on Friday that key buildings at the Arak site had sustained damage, including the distillation unit. Although the reactor was non-operational and contained no nuclear material, the agency noted the incident with concern.

(With AFP, AP inputs)

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