WHO sounds alarm over safety of Iran's nuclear facilities in face of US-Israeli strikes

The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) on Sunday sounded the alarm over the safety of Iran's nuclear facilities in the face of US and Israeli strikes.

"I join the International Atomic Energy Agency in raising the alarm again over the safety of nuclear facilities in Iran. The latest incident involving the Bushehr nuclear power plant is a stark reminder: a strike could trigger a nuclear accident, with health impacts that would devastate generations," Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus wrote on US social media platform X.

He warned that threats are rising higher as the Middle East conflict continues and called for an immediate de-escalation.

Tedros' remarks came after attacks on Saturday struck Iran's Bushehr nuclear plant and several petrochemical hubs, including the Mahshahr and Bandar Imam special petrochemical zones.

The region has been on alert since the US and Israel launched a joint offensive on Iran on Feb. 28, killing more than 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.