Nuclear security is jeopardized

Rafael Grossi, head of the United Nations Nuclear Agency, says there has been no visible damage to underground nuclear plants located in Natanz province in Iran following Israel’s attack in the area.

The Nuclear Agency has reported that the above part of the station, where Iran was producing uranium that was enriched up to 60 percent – which is below the 90 percentage points needed to produce nuclear weapons – has been destroyed in the attacks.

Electricity loss could have caused damage

Grossi said at a board meeting today that « no further damage » had been done in the Natanz area since Friday. He added that radioactivity outside the Natanz nuclear plant « had remained unchanged and at normal limits, which indicates that no external radiation has taken place ».

Furthermore, there are no signs of an attack on the underground space, which contains part of the experimental resource and the main wealth station, Grossi said in his statement.

« However, the power failure in the space could have damaged the centrifuges there. »

Nuclear Agency will not stand by

« For the second time in three years, we are witnessing dramatic conflicts between two Nuclear Energy Agency Member States, where nuclear infrastructure is being attacked and nuclear security is jeopardized, » Grossi said at the meeting.

He said the Nuclear Agency would, as in the war in Ukraine, « not stand idle during these conflicts » and offered Iran its aid.

« Otherwise there will be consequences »

Reza Najafi, Iran’s ambassador to the Nuclear Agency, called for the meeting that the members of the board condemned Israel’s aggression and held the Israeli government responsible.

« Otherwise, there will be consequences for those who don’t, » he said.

In a conversation with the AFP news sources, Najafi said that Iran had urged the government to « not allow its original mistakes, to prevent attacks that lead to further mistakes, and to take strong and effective action ».