1,000 kg nuclear bombshell: Why attack on Iran’s Bushehr plant could trigger catastrophic fallout

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has been monitoring Iranian nuclear sites as Israel continues to attack nuclear facilities. The agency's Director General Rafael Grossi in a statement to the United Nations Security Council, said that if Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant is attacked, the consequences could be most serious.

Bushehr is an operating nuclear power plant and hosts thousands of kilograms of nuclear material.

"Countries 7 of the region have reached out directly to me to express their concerns," Grossi said, adding that in case of an attack on this power plant, a direct hit could result in a very high release of radioactivity to the environment.

"Similarly, a hit that disabled the only two lines supplying electrical power to the plant could cause its reactor’s core to melt, which could result in a high release of radioactivity to the environment," he noted.

Attacks on nuclear sites in the Islamic Republic of Iran have caused a sharp degradation in nuclear safety and security in Iran. Though they have not so far led to a radiological release affecting the public, there is a danger this could occur, the statement read.

Continuing about Bushehr, in a worst case, both scenarios would require protective actions, including evacuations and sheltering of the population or the need to take stable iodine, "with the reach extending to distances from a few to several hundred kilometres."

Moreover, radiation monitoring would need to cover distances of several hundred kilometres and food restrictions may need to be implemented.

Grossi further called on maximum restraint, saying that the military escalation threatens lives and delays indispensable work towards a diplomatic solution for the long-term assurance that Iran does not acquire a nuclear weapon.

"The IAEA, just as has been the case with the military conflict between the Russian Federation and Ukraine, will not stand idle during this conflict," he added.