UN Watchdog Warns of Radiological Risk in Iran
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has issued a stark warning that it "cannot rule out" a possible radiological release from the strikes on Iranian facilities. While no direct attacks on nuclear sites are confirmed, the statement raises acute international anxiety about accidental or intentional contamination.
The recent warnings follow a series of joint U.S.-Israeli strikes that began on February 28, 2026, targeting Iran's leadership, security forces, and nuclear and missile sites. The operation, codenamed "Epic Fury," commenced after U.S. President Donald Trump gave the order on February 27. This escalation follows a previous 12-day war in June 2025, during which Israeli and then U.S. forces struck Iranian nuclear facilities at Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan. Iran's main uranium enrichment facility is located at Natanz, approximately 220 kilometers southeast of Tehran. This site has been a frequent target, having previously been hit by the Stuxnet computer virus, which destroyed centrifuges, and has suffered from multiple explosions and blackouts attributed to sabotage. To protect its activities, Iran has been constructing new facilities deeper underground at the Natanz complex. Another key facility is the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant, built secretly inside a mountain near the city of Qom. Its existence was only revealed to the IAEA in 2009 after Western intelligence became aware of it. The Isfahan Nuclear Technology Center houses several research reactors and a crucial uranium conversion facility that produces the feedstock gas for centrifuges. The history of conflict over Iran's nuclear program includes more than just military strikes. For years, the program has been subjected to a campaign of sabotage. This has involved the assassination of several of its top nuclear scientists and numerous mysterious explosions at sensitive military and nuclear-related sites. The IAEA's ability to monitor Iran's activities has been frequently hampered. The agency has previously reported being denied access to sites, including two locations where undeclared nuclear materials were suspected of being stored and tested in the early 2000s. In February 2021, Iran stopped allowing the IAEA access to data from its nuclear sites, further obscuring the full scope of its program. The current strikes have already had a significant impact, with reports confirming the death of Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on February 28, 2026, during a strike on his compound. In response to the initial attacks, Iran launched large-scale missile and drone retaliations targeting Israel and U.S. bases in several Gulf countries, including Bahrain, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia.
