Iran foreign minister warns UN of environmental catastrophe from strikes

Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araghchi warned on Saturday that US-Israeli attacks on his country's nuclear facilities could expose the entire region to radioactive contamination, calling for urgent international action. In a letter addressed to UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres, members of the Security Council, and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) director-general Rafael Grossi, Araghchi said continued strikes on Iran's nuclear infrastructure pose serious environmental and human risks.

'These illegal attacks must not be ignored'

According to the IRNA news agency, Araghchi wrote in the letter: "These illegal attacks expose the entire region to a serious risk of radioactive contamination, which could have grave consequences for human health and the environment, and therefore must not be ignored." He stated that the attacks have targeted facilities under international safeguards, including the Bushehr nuclear power plant, which he described as dedicated solely to peaceful purposes and operating under IAEA supervision.

Iran accuses US and Israel of repeated strikes

Araghchi accused the United States and Israel of repeatedly striking Iran's nuclear infrastructure in recent months while criticizing international bodies for failing to respond. "In less than nine months, the United States … and Israel … have launched two aggressive wars against the Islamic Republic of Iran," he said. He added that the lack of condemnation by the UN and the IAEA has emboldened further attacks.

US officials' statements heighten concerns

The minister also warned that statements by US officials suggesting nuclear facilities could be targeted, including the Bushehr plant, have heightened concerns. "Now, high-ranking US officials, who have described international humanitarian law as 'folly,' have dared to declare that nuclear facilities are among their targets. The US Permanent Mission to the United Nations has publicly stated that attacks on the Bushehr nuclear power plant are 'not out of the question,'" he said.

List of reported strikes since late February

Araghchi listed multiple reported strikes on nuclear-related sites since late February, including: on March 1, Iran's Natanz nuclear facility was hit in two separate attacks; on March 17, a building located about 350 meters from the Bushehr nuclear power plant was struck; on March 21, several points within the Natanz nuclear facility were bombed; on March 24, a projectile hit the vicinity of the Bushehr nuclear power plant; on March 27, the Bushehr nuclear power plant was attacked for a third time; on March 27, the Khondab heavy water production plant was struck; and on March 27, the Shahid Ahmadi Roshan uranium processing site was bombed. He said repeated strikes near the operational Bushehr plant were particularly alarming. "The proximity of these attacks to an operating nuclear facility creates an intolerable situation and poses a serious risk of radioactive leakage," he said.

Bushehr plant struck, one killed

Earlier in the day, US and Israeli strikes hit Iran's Bushehr nuclear plant, killing one person. The attack came as regional tensions have escalated since the US and Israel launched a joint offensive on Iran on February 28, killing over 1,340 people to date, including then-supreme leader Ali Khamenei. Tehran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, as well as Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries hosting US military assets.