Iran FM warns of contamination risk after Bushehr strikes
Iran FM warns of contamination risk after Bushehr strikes
Iran's foreign minister warns that strikes near Bushehr could cause radioactive fallout; the IAEA voices concern as regional tensions rise.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned that continued attacks near Iran's southern Bushehr nuclear power plant could unleash radioactive fallout that would end life in GCC capitals rather than in Tehran, as tensions spike in the region after a string of strikes.
Saturday's strikes near the Bushehr plant killed a guard and prompted Russia to evacuate 198 workers, according to officials. The development underscores the fragile security around a facility already at the center of a broader regional confrontation.
The International Atomic Energy Agency head Rafael Grossi said no increase in radiation levels had been reported at the site but voiced deep concern and urged restraint, stressing that nuclear sites must never be attacked.
Tehran announced fresh attacks in the region, with the Revolutionary Guards saying they carried out a drone strike on a commercial ship in Bahrain suspected of ties to Israel. The broader conflict has stretched across the Gulf, complicating international efforts to avoid a nuclear incident.
Analysts note that Bushehr's proximity to Gulf neighbors heightens the risk of spillover, accelerating calls for de-escalation and careful protection of civilian lives amid ongoing hostilities. In Tehran, residents described anxious days as uncertainty about the future grows and headlines focus on the potential consequences of renewed strikes around critical infrastructure.
