Rafael Grossi. Head of UN’s nuclear watchdog, says Israeli war with Iran ‘puts lives at risk’ and could lead to nuclear contamination. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) director Rafael Grossi has cautioned that the increasing tensions between Israel and Iran, currently in their fourth day, present serious risks to diplomacy and nuclear security and called on all parties to demonstrate utmost restraint.
Addressing an extraordinary session of the United Nations nuclear watchdog agency’s Board of Governors on Monday in Vienna, Director General Grossi emphasized the region stands at a critical crossroads.
Escalating military action risks lives, heightens the potential for a radiological release with severe implications for human and environmental health, and postpones vital efforts towards a diplomatic solution to the long-term guarantee that Iran never obtains a nuclear weapon,” Grossi asserted.
The IAEA head commented on increasing fear that the fighting could irreparably harm attempts to restore nuclear negotiations with Iran, already strained through decades of suspicion and United States President Donald Trump’s sinking of the 2015 nuclear agreement negotiated among world powers with Iran.
Grossi also provided a technical report about the conditions of Iranian nuclear sites following Israeli attacks. Natanz, Iran’s central uranium enrichment facility, was one of the targets on Friday. Although its underground component escaped direct bombardment, Grossi cautioned that critical equipment could have been wrecked by a power outage caused by the attack.
He added that levels of radiation outside the plant were normal and, most importantly, there was no sign that the contamination had extended beyond the plant.
