UN nuclear watchdog warns of danger of leaks

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The director of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, warned this Monday about the risk of radioactive leaks due to the Israeli attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities and offered to travel to the region.

Despite the warning, the IAEA said it had not detected any radioactive leaks since Israel launched its offensive against Iran on Friday.

Grossi told the IAEA Board of Governors that the Vienna-based UN agency has been monitoring the situation closely since the conflict began. He said the IAEA crisis center was working around the clock to assess the radiation level at key Iranian facilities .

The aim is to be able to respond to a potential emergency within a maximum period of one hour, he explained, according to the Spanish news agency Europa Press.

The analyses ruled out damage to the Fordo enrichment plant and the Jondab reactor under construction, while the damage to the Isfahan and Natanz plants did not result in leaks, at least to the outside . In the case of Natanz, there was “radiological and chemical contamination” within the plant itself, possibly due to the dispersion of uranium isotopes.

This type of contamination can pose a risk in the event of inhalation or contact with water, but, according to Grossi, it can be controlled with appropriate protective materials.

“The military escalation threatens lives, increases the possibility of a radiological leak with serious consequences for the population and the environment, and delays the indispensable work towards a diplomatic solution that guarantees in the long term that Iran does not obtain a nuclear weapon,” he said.

In his speech before the IAEA Board of Governors, the Argentine diplomat who has headed the agency since December 2019 also called for “maximum restraint” from “all parties”. He also called on all IAEA member countries to work together to bring the parties closer together.

He said he was ready to “ travel as soon as possible to assess the situation and ensure security and non-proliferation ” in Iran. Regarding the situation in recent days, marked by “complicated and complex circumstances”, Grossi praised the exchange of information between the IAEA and the Iranian authorities.

The exchange of information is essential so that the international community is aware of what is happening on the ground and can provide “health assistance” in the event of an emergency, he said.

Grossi promised that the IAEA “will not remain on the sidelines” of the conflict, the second in three years between two member countries of the organization that have nuclear facilities, as has been the case since 2022 in the case of Russia and Ukraine.

Israel and the West accuse Iran of developing a nuclear program to obtain atomic weapons, but the Islamic Republic claims it is intended only for civilian purposes, namely energy production.

Israel launched an offensive against Iran on Friday , claiming to target Iranian nuclear and military infrastructure, which triggered an Iranian response with bombings of Israeli cities. The Israeli strikes have killed at least 224 people in Iran, including senior military commanders , nuclear scientists and civilians, according to Iranian officials.

Tehran retaliated with drone and missile strikes, which killed at least 24 people in Israel, according to the Israeli government.

Iran does not recognize Israel and regularly accuses Tel Aviv of sabotaging nuclear infrastructure and assassinating Iranian scientists linked to the nuclear program.