The International Atomic Energy Agency urges restraint after US-Israel strikes on Iran trigger regional retaliation, saying it has found no radiological impact so far while closely monitoring the escalating crisis.
As tensions surge across the Middle East following large-scale military strikes involving the United States, Israel and Iran, the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog has issued a cautionary message: avoid actions that could trigger nuclear or radiological risks.
In a statement released on Saturday, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said it is closely tracking the rapidly evolving situation after coordinated strikes and retaliatory missile attacks across the region.
“The IAEA is closely monitoring developments in the Middle East, and urges restraint to avoid any nuclear safety risks to people in the region,” it said in a statement.
Also read: How Protests, Nuclear Stalemate and Proxy Wars Sparked US-Israeli Strikes on Iran
The agency also sought to calm immediate fears of nuclear fallout.
So far, there was “no evidence of any radiological impact”, it said, adding that it would continue to monitor developments.
The warning comes at a time when fears are mounting that a widening conflict could threaten sensitive nuclear infrastructure in the region.
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Region on Edge After Strikes and Retaliation
The IAEA’s statement follows a dramatic escalation after the United States and Israel launched what Israel described as a “decisive and unprecedented” military campaign targeting Iran. Tehran responded with missile attacks across several parts of the Middle East, sending residents rushing to shelters and triggering air defence systems in multiple countries.
Missiles and explosions were reported across several capitals in the Gulf, with governments scrambling to secure airspace and protect civilians. In the United Arab Emirates, authorities reported missile damage in both Dubai and Abu Dhabi, with one civilian killed in an Iranian attack.
Blasts from interceptors and incoming missiles were also heard in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, Jordan, Kuwait and Israel as the conflict spread across the region.
Iran had repeatedly warned it would respond strongly if attacked. On Saturday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said installations linked to the operation had become legitimate targets.
US and Israeli installations around the region involved in the operation were “legitimate targets”.
Meanwhile, the situation inside Iran appeared tense and uncertain. Authorities reportedly sent emergency text alerts urging residents to evacuate the capital Tehran, home to roughly 10 million people. Plumes of smoke were seen over parts of the city, including areas near key government locations.
Civilian Toll and Conflicting Reports
Amid the chaos, Iranian officials reported a deadly strike on a school in southern Iran that killed 85 people, according to the judiciary. However, journalists have not been able to independently verify the claim.
Security forces were deployed across Tehran, while businesses shuttered and streets emptied as residents braced for further attacks.
An office worker described witnessing missiles flying toward targets in the city shortly before communications were cut.
“I saw with my own eyes two Tomahawk missiles flying horizontally toward targets,” a Tehran office worker told AFP before communications and internet access were cut.
Iran’s Red Crescent Society said more than 20 of the country’s 31 provinces were affected by the strikes.
Also read: Iran’s Gulf Retaliation: How Dubai’s Iconic Palm Became a Scene of Fire and Panic (WATCH)
Leadership Targets and Military Claims
Reports also emerged that senior Iranian leaders may have been targeted during the attacks. Israeli media cited sources claiming that top officials, including Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei, were among the intended targets.
However, Iranian officials quickly pushed back against the claims. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the country’s leadership remained intact.
Khamenei was alive “as far as I know”, adding that “all high ranking officials are alive”.
An Israeli military official, meanwhile, claimed that several senior figures had been “eliminated” during strikes on gatherings of Iranian officials.
Wider Regional Impact
The conflict has disrupted air travel across the Middle East. Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Syria, the United Arab Emirates and Israel have closed their airspaces at least partially, while several international airlines cancelled flights to the region.
Residents in several Gulf countries described moments of panic as missiles and air defence systems lit up the night sky. In Qatar, witnesses said a missile fell into a residential neighbourhood, sparking a fireball on impact.
In Bahrain’s capital Manama, people were evacuated from the Juffair district, which houses the headquarters of the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet.
“When we heard the sounds, we cried out of fear,” said Jana Hassan, a 15-year-old student who was visiting a friend in the area. “I will never forget the sound of those loud blasts.”