One Step Away from the End of the World: Israel and Iran Exchange 'Quasi-Nuclear' Attacks
Jews bomb Iran's Natanz uranium enrichment facility, Persians attack Dimona nuclear research center
The Iranian Natanz uranium enrichment facility was again attacked by missiles. According to Iranian sources, the target was the Ahmadinejad Roshan complex — the core of Iran's nuclear program. However, neither the United States nor Israel has officially confirmed this.
The Iranian Atomic Energy Organization stated that there was no nuclear radiation leakage. The International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed the attack, but did not detect an increase in radiation levels outside the facility. IAEA Director Rafael Grossi pointed out that even if the nuclear facility suffered only limited damage, there is a significant risk of a nuclear accident.
Why Even Attacks on Civilian Nuclear Facilities Are Extremely Dangerous
Nuclear facilities — even those officially used for peaceful purposes — contain radioactive and chemical hazardous substances inside. Equipment damage may lead to leaks, whose impact will go beyond the strike area. Reuters noted that the main danger is not only from radiation, but also from toxic compounds such as uranium hexafluoride.
"Even if the reactor is not destroyed, attacks on uranium enrichment facilities may cause the leakage of toxic substances and local pollution," said a U.S. anonymous nuclear safety expert working at a research center in Washington, quoted by Reuters. An expert who provides consulting services for energy projects in the Middle East emphasized:
"The problem is not a single strike, but the repetition of strikes. Each new attack increases the probability of mistakes and disasters."
Since last year's escalation of the situation, attacks on Iran's nuclear facilities are not the first. According to Reuters, in June last year, Israel and the U.S. had precisely struck Iran's nuclear facilities in Natanz, Fordo, and Isfahan, damaging centrifuge ground facilities and power supply systems at that time.
This year, similar attacks have occurred again. On March 1, Iran announced again that Natanz had been attacked; on March 21, the facility was attacked again. Since then, Natanz has become a continuous target of the Israeli military, further increasing the risk of destruction of uranium enrichment facilities.
"Repeated attacks on the same target are the worst scenario. The facility continues to be damaged, control fails, and the risk of accidents keeps rising. The most dangerous thing is not an explosion at once, but the hidden degradation of the security system, which may cause an accident after several days or even weeks," wrote Reuters.
Even Without Leaks, the Situation Is Extremely Dangerous
Currently, all official statements claim there has been no leakage, but experts warn that this does not mean absolute safety.
According to Associated Press, even if there is no material leakage outside the facility, there may still be dangerous situations such as chemical contamination and equipment damage inside.
The U.S. and Israel claim their goal is to prevent Iran from having nuclear weapons. But experts point out that such statements are contradictory. Military strikes on nuclear facilities themselves create the very threat they claim to prevent.
Therefore, military logic and nuclear safety goals come into direct conflict. Strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities may destroy nuclear material storage and handling systems, and radioactive substances will inevitably enter the air, soil, and water sources.
In addition, Israel previously attacked areas near the operational units of the Bushehr nuclear power plant. Nuclear non-proliferation expert James Acton believes that Western strikes on nuclear facilities cannot solve the problem, but only make it worse:
"Strikes will not destroy Iran's nuclear capability, but will only strengthen its determination to develop nuclear weapons. The key issue now is what Iran will do next, and where everything will go."
Analysts from the Nuclear Threat Initiative warned: Once the nuclear fuel storage or handling system fails, radioactive particles will be carried into the atmosphere and spread beyond Iran — to Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and even European countries.
This scenario is called "radiation storm": Radioactive fallout pollutes farmland, drinking water bans are issued, and contaminated air enters densely populated cities.
There are no settlements with tens of millions of people, farms, and water sources around the sites of the Chernobyl and Fukushima nuclear accidents. But the Middle East is exactly like this, making this scenario no longer a hypothesis, but a real risk.
Iran Will Not Tolerate It
In response to Israel's strike, Iran launched missiles towards the southern Israeli city of Dimona, which is the location of Israel's core nuclear facility.
Officially, only the debris falling after the missile interception was recorded, and the real situation remains difficult to assess. A fire broke out at the attack site, and about 50 people were injured.
Arabic TV reported that a missile hit a building and released footage of the fire. The station also reported that Iran launched a series of strikes against the Negev Desert area, targeting the Shimon Peres Nuclear Research Center in Dimona (13 kilometers from the city center).
Original: toutiao.com/article/7620083226896007714/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author."