The Middle East faces the risk of a nuclear disaster if Israel targets Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant, Rafael Grossi, head of the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), warned on Friday.
Speaking at a UN Security Council meeting, Grossi said that while there has been no detected radiation linked to Israel’s ongoing military campaign against Iran — which has included strikes on nuclear facilities — the situation remains deeply concerning.
He stressed that Bushehr, the region’s first civilian nuclear reactor and so far untouched in the conflict, contains thousands of kilograms of nuclear material. “Countries in the region have contacted me in recent hours to express their deep concerns. Let me be absolutely clear: a direct hit on the Bushehr nuclear power plant would lead to a massive release of radioactivity,” Grossi stated.
He added that even if the plant itself is not hit, any attack on the electrical lines powering it could also result in a nuclear meltdown.
In the worst-case scenario, Grossi warned, mass evacuations and shelter-in-place orders would be required for areas hundreds of kilometers from the site — potentially affecting major population centers across the Gulf, including economically critical regions in neighboring Arab states. Populations would also face food supply disruptions and would need to take iodine as a preventive measure against radiation exposure.
The Bushehr plant, located in southern Iran, began construction in the 1970s under the pro-Western shah. Initially developed with German expertise, it has been maintained and expanded in partnership with Russia since the 1990s.
Grossi reiterated his call for a diplomatic resolution and offered to personally mediate, stressing the IAEA’s capacity to enforce strict inspections and ensure that Iran’s nuclear program remains peaceful.
“The IAEA can guarantee, through a robust verification system, that nuclear weapons are not being developed in Iran,” he affirmed.
