Israel-Iran conflict: UN atomic watchdog warns of nuclear catastrophe if Israel strikes Bushehr plant

The atomic watchdog of the United Nations on Friday said that the Middle East will be risking a nuclear catastrophe if Israel makes a strike on Iran's southern nuclear plant of Bushehr.

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi told the United Nations Security Council that he has not yet detected any radiation due to Israel's week-long military attack on Iran, including attacks on its nuclear sites.

However, he warned that a strike on Bushehr – the Middle East's first civilian nuclear reactor, which so far appears to have been spared – would result in the most serious consequences as the facility houses thousands of kilogrammes of nuclear material.

“Armed attack on nuclear facilities should never take place and could result in radioactive releases with great consequences within and beyond boundaries of the state which has been attacked,” he said.

He said countries in the region had expressed concerns regarding the same.

“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 said.

What happens to human beings if Israel strikes Bushehr?

The IAEA director also warned that consequences will be dire even if Israel strikes the lines that supply electricity to Bushehr, as such disabling of power can result in a nuclear meltdown.

In the worst-case scenario, Grossi warned that people living within several hundred kilometres of Bushehr will need to evacuate or be ordered to take shelter. These could include population centres in Gulf Arab monarchies, a major artery of the global economy.

The population will also face restrictions in food supply and would need to take iodine, Grossi said.

Construction on Bushehr began in the 1970s as the pro-Western shah sought to develop civilian nuclear power.

German scientists initially worked on the plant but since the 1990s the Islamic republic has worked with Russia to develop and maintain Bushehr.

Grossi appealed for a diplomatic solution and repeated his willingness to travel to negotiate a deal.

“The IAEA can guarantee through a watertight inspection system that nuclear weapons will not be developed in Iran,” he said.