The International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed reports of radioactive contamination at one of Iran’s nuclear sites damaged by Israel’s ongoing missile strikes.
IAEA chief Rafael Grossi told the United Nations Security Council on Friday about the damage Israel inflicted on Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility, according to Newsweek.
“Israel destroyed the above-ground part of the Natanz nuclear facility. There are no indications of damage to the underground enrichment facilities at the site, but the power outage may have affected the centrifuges. There is radioactive and chemical contamination at the site,” Grossi said.
Grossi later added, however, that the contamination was manageable.
“Radiation levels outside the Natanz facility remained unchanged. The type of radioactive contamination present inside the facility, mainly alpha particles, can be managed with appropriate protective measures,” the IAEA quoted Grossi as saying.
“Radiation levels outside the Natanz facility remained unchanged. The type of radioactive contamination present inside the facility, mainly alpha particles, can be managed with appropriate protective measures.” – DG @rafaelmgrossi https://t.co/L9MSaPhYlJ
— IAEA – International Atomic Energy Agency ⚛️ (@iaeaorg) June 13, 2025
Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization said that the site suffered only minor damage and that there was no threat of a leak.
Grossi said he plans to visit Iran anyway.
“I call on all parties to exercise maximum restraint to avoid further escalation,” Grossi told the IAEA Board of Governors on Friday.
“I reiterate that any military action that jeopardizes the safety and security of nuclear facilities risks grave consequences for the people of Iran, the region, and beyond,” he said.
IAEA Deeply Concerned as #Natanz Site Targeted in Iran; Radiation Levels Under Scrutiny Amid Reports of Damage. The Agency is actively monitoring the situation, focusing on assessing radiation levels in collaboration with Iranian authorities:
???? Latest Breaking Alerts:… pic.twitter.com/WP1wupasMJ
— Defcon Alerts: Global Threat Monitor (@Defcon_Level) June 13, 2025
On Thursday, before Israel’s preemptive strike on Iran, the U.N.’s Board of Governors declared Iran in breach of its nuclear non-proliferation obligations — the first time in nearly 20 years, according to Reuters.
The board cited a May 31 IAEA report.
“The Board of Governors … finds that Iran’s many failures to uphold its obligations since 2019 to provide the Agency with full and timely cooperation regarding undeclared nuclear material and activities at multiple undeclared locations in Iran … constitutes non-compliance with its obligations under its Safeguards Agreement with the Agency,” the report read.
The IAEA later confirmed that while external radiation levels around Natanz had not increased, internal contamination was detected. https://t.co/nOYQHOWswW
— Newsweek (@Newsweek) June 13, 2025
Yet Iran denied that it ever pursued nuclear weapons.
The conflict raged on over the weekend and into Monday, after Iran barraged Israel with ballistic missiles Friday night, ABC News reported.
Earlier that day, an Israeli missile strike killed several Iranian nuclear scientists and high-ranking military leaders.
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