'Very serious' nuclear threat in Ukraine

Rafael Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), has expressed grave concerns regarding the safety of a nuclear plant amid escalating military activity in its vicinity. He highlighted a recent fire incident at one of the plant's cooling towers, indicating that the situation is precarious. While Grossi reassured that the reactors are currently contained, he warned that the potential for a serious incident remains, particularly due to the plant's history of power outages, which have occurred nine times. Grossi elaborated on the operational status of the plant, noting that two reactors are still functioning while two others are in the decommissioning process. He emphasized the risks associated with external power loss, suggesting that any impact on the plant could lead to a critical situation. His comments underscore the delicate balance of maintaining safety in an environment marked by military tensions. In a separate context, Grossi addressed concerns regarding Iran's nuclear capabilities. He clarified that while Iran possesses sufficient material to potentially manufacture nuclear weapons, it has not yet developed an actual weapon. He pointed out that several steps remain before Iran could achieve this capability, and the IAEA currently has no evidence that Iran has reached that stage. With ongoing tensions in the Middle East, Grossi stressed the importance of preventing nuclear proliferation in Iran. He noted that there are currently no discussions taking place regarding this issue, highlighting the urgent need for diplomatic engagement to ensure regional stability.