Gulf Region On High Alert Over Nuclear Radiation Fears After US Strikes On Iranian Nuclear Sites (image-X/Semiogogue)
The Gulf countries are frequently monitoring the radiation levels in the region following the US and Israeli strikes on the nuclear sites in Iran. So far, experts have confirmed that there are no contamination fears. Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to launch airstrikes against Iran’s facilities has sparked concerns among atomic energy regulators and experts about the risk of nuclear contamination.
Gulf countries assessing the situation are now accelerating their emergency preparedness in anticipation of a potential regional spillover. Meanwhile, the UN watchdog has said that there’s no increase in off-site radiation levels after the US struck nuclear sites.
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President Donald Trump, after striking three Iranian nuclear sites said that in a “very successful attack”, the heavily fortified Fordow nuclear facility is “gone.” Trump joining the military campaign would mean a major escalation of the conflict.
With the escalation of the strikes, there have been concerns regarding radiation. However, experts have stressed that the risk of contamination from the strikes so far remains minimal, reports The National. The sites which were attacked included locations producing centrifuge components (non-nuclear materials) and the Arak research reactor (under construction, no nuclear material), the Natanz uranium enrichment facility, the Isfahan site, which handles both enrichment and uranium conversion, and the Fordow fuel enrichment facility. These sites were reportedly attacked, but there is no confirmed damage.
Rafael Grossi, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief, said to the UN Secretary-General on Friday that many countries in the region had reached out over concerns regarding the spread of radiation. He made it clear that, as of now, everything is “absolutely and completely clear.” However, an attack on the Bushehr nuclear power plant would mean a “high release of radioactivity to the environment.”
There had been earlier speculation regarding whether Israel had struck the Bushehr plant, Iran’s only functioning nuclear power plant. An Israeli military official said on Thursday that an earlier statement claiming a strike had been carried out on Bushehr was a “mistake.”
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Such an attack could have serious consequences, with the need to monitor radiation levels for several hundreds of kilometres, the UN nuclear watchdog has said.
Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, and Iraq have confirmed that there had been no abnormal levels of radiation detected in the region after continuously monitoring the situation.
Qatar launched an advanced national radiation monitoring network, which operates around the clock to assess radiation levels in the country. All countries in the region are on high alert, and all response teams are ready to tackle any emergency situations.
