No increase in radiation off sites that the US hit: UN watchdog
TEL AVIV, Israel, June 22, (AP): The International Atomic Energy Agency said Sunday that there has been "no increase in off-site radiation levels' after U.S. airstrikes on Iranian nuclear sites.
The U.N. nuclear watchdog sent the message via the social platform X on Sunday. "The IAEA can confirm that no increase in off-site radiation levels has been reported as of this time,' it said.
The "IAEA will provide further assessments on situation in Iran as more information becomes available.
The United States struck three sites in Iran early Sunday, inserting itself into Israel's war aimed at destroying the country's nuclear program in a risky gambit to weaken a longtime foe despite fears of a wider regional conflict.
Addressing the nation from the White House, President Donald Trump asserted that Iran's key nuclear were "completely and fully obliterated.' There was no independent damage assessment. It was not clear whether the U.S. would continue attacking Iran alongside its ally Israel, which has been engaged in a nine-day war with Iran.
Trump acted without congressional authorization, and he warned that there would be additional strikes if Tehran retaliated against U.S. forces. "There will either be peace or there will be tragedy for Iran,' he said.
Iran's top diplomat, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, warned in a post on X that the U.S. attacks "will have everlasting consequences' and that Tehran "reserves all options' to retaliate.
Iran's ambassador to the United Nations called for an emergency Security Council meeting to discuss what he described as the U.S.'s "heinous attacks and illegal use of force' against Iran. In a letter obtained by The Associated Press, Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani said that the U.N.'s most powerful body must "take all necessary measures' to hold the U.S. accountable under international law and the U.N. charter.
Early Sunday morning Israel alerted the public of an Iranian missile launch and urged people to take shelter. Sirens sounded in Jerusalem a short while later, and a series of booms were heard.
Iranian has been firing missile barrages at Israel since the war began but they have decreased in size as Israel targets Tehran's missile launchers. The Islamic Republic may also be keeping some arms in reserve.
The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran confirmed that attacks took place on its Fordo, Isfahan, and Natanz sites, but it insisted that its work will not be stopped. Iran said there were no signs of radioactive contamination at the three locations and no danger to nearby residents.
Iran has maintained that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only, and U.S. intelligence agencies have assessed that Tehran is not actively pursuing a bomb. However, Trump and Israeli leaders have claimed that Iran could quickly assemble a nuclear weapon, making it an imminent threat.
The decision to directly involve the U.S. in the war comes after more than a week of strikes by Israel on Iran that aimed to systematically eradicate the country's air defenses and offensive missile capabilities, while damaging its nuclear enrichment facilities.
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