U.S. Strikes on Natanz Facility Could Have Caused Radioactive Contamination — IAEA

The American airstrikes on an Iranian nuclear facility in Natanz could have led to localized contamination, according to a statement by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), reports TASS.

According to the agency’s assessment, the strikes hit the area above underground halls that were previously used both for uranium enrichment and for storing materials. "The IAEA assesses that this strike could have caused local contamination and chemical risks," the document states.

It is noted that due to the strikes on the Fordo site, "access roads to the underground complex and one of the entrances to the facility were damaged."

Additionally, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi stated that the agency has not recorded any radiation exposure to neighboring countries resulting from the strikes carried out by Israel and the U.S. on Iranian nuclear facilities. "Based on current data, the IAEA can confidently affirm that (as a result of the strikes) no radiation impact has been recorded on the population and environment in neighboring countries. Importantly from a nuclear safety perspective, Iran’s research and energy reactors were not targets of the strikes," Grossi is quoted as saying on the IAEA website.