Latest news with #Natanz
The Guardian
3 hours ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Fear and shock in Iran: ‘I'm constantly afraid a missile might hit my home'
The greatest impact of this war is fear and anxiety. We don't know whether this situation will last for weeks, months or even years. Our lives have been thrown off routine, I spend most of my time just reading the news. I'm constantly afraid that a missile might hit my home, my city or the homes of my relatives and friends in other places. I get the news from X and Instagram because we don't have any reliable news networks and broadcasts that are not censored by the regime. We follow the updates through videos shared by people from different parts of the country on social media. The internet in Iran has become very slow and it was completely down yesterday [Wednesday]. My workplace is in Tehran. I left the city on Saturday, two days after the attacks began. My home is in the east of the city, in the Tehranpars area, which has been repeatedly hit by missiles. It was very difficult [to get out] because gasoline was rationed – each person is allowed only 25 litres – and at every gas station we had to beg and plead to get more fuel. We had to go south through Natanz. The Natanz nuclear facilities have been bombed and we don't know if there is a risk of radiation or not. The government does not tell us this. After Saturday, leaving Tehran became even harder. There is heavy traffic on the roads out of the city and the road to Qom, one of the main exit routes, was bombed. I left in my car with my friends. There are no longer any buses, trains or flights on these routes and if someone doesn't have a car, they can't leave. Many of my friends and colleagues weren't able to leave Tehran. Some have pets, some don't have a car and many don't have the money or a place to stay in other cities. One of my friends' mothers is very old and cannot be moved. Another friend is a nurse and can't leave her job. If everyone is forced to leave the capital, the entire country will come to a halt. The banks, government offices and almost everything else depends on Tehran. I'm now in Kerman where I also have family. Fortunately, we haven't had any bombings so far. Kerman is currently safe but there are military facilities and ammunition depots here as well, and such sites have been bombed in other cities across the country. Inflation has skyrocketed. The price of all food items has shockingly doubled or even tripled and not even a full week has passed since the war began. Many food products are no longer as easily available as before – for example, fruit that used to be brought in from other provinces – because no truck drivers are willing to travel on intercity roads. Rice, chicken, meat and fruit have doubled in price. Dairy products have gone up by 20% but all of these items are still available, just with less variety than before. However, I know that the situation in Tehran is much worse. Due to business closures, there is also a high chance we won't receive our salaries. My next fear is the high cost of living and not having enough money. I work for a company that [works internationally]. We haven't completely shut down but in practice we can no longer operate because all the embassies processing visas have closed. If these conditions continue, our company will be completely shut down and I will lose my job. Our situation in Iran is very complicated. Many people oppose the regime. For years we have been striving to change this government but the government arrests, suppresses and executes us. At the same time, we absolutely do not want war either. War kills civilians, destroys our infrastructure, causes poverty and inflation and sets the country back. But now that this war – against the will of the Iranian people – is destroying our lives, we at least hope it will lead to regime change. My biggest fear? That if the war continues, more civilians will be killed, more infrastructure will be destroyed and in the end the government will still not change. That would be the worst outcome.
South China Morning Post
4 hours ago
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
What are the nuclear contamination risks from Israel's attacks on Iran?
Israel says it is determined to destroy Iran's nuclear capabilities in its military campaign, but that it also wants to avoid any nuclear disaster in a region that is home to tens of millions of people and produces much of the world's oil. Fears of catastrophe rippled through the Gulf on Thursday when the Israeli military said it had struck a site in Bushehr on the Gulf coast – home to Iran's only nuclear power station – only to later say the announcement was a mistake. Below are details on the damage caused so far by Israel's attacks, and what experts are saying about the risks of contamination and other disasters. What has Israel hit so far? Israel has announced attacks on nuclear sites in Natanz, Isfahan, Arak and Tehran itself. Israel says it aims to stop Iran building an atom bomb. Iran denies ever seeking one. The international nuclear watchdog IAEA has reported damage to the uranium enrichment plant at Natanz, to the nuclear complex at Isfahan, including the Uranium Conversion Facility, and to centrifuge production facilities in Karaj and Tehran. A satellite image shows the damaged Arak heavy water reactor facilities in Iran on Thursday. Image: Maxar Technologies via Reuters Israel said on Wednesday it had targeted Arak, also known as Khondab, the location of a partially built heavy-water research reactor, a type that can easily produce plutonium which, like enriched uranium, can be used to make the core of an atom bomb.
Daily Mail
7 hours ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Defiant Iran boasts all its nuclear material is 'in a safe place' after Trump dramatically backed down on war
Iran boasted that all its nuclear material had been moved to 'a safe place' before Israeli missiles struck its nuclear sites. ' Israel hit Natanz, Isfahan, Khandab, and Arak but they were already evacuated', Senior Iranian commander Mohsen Rezaei said on Thursday. 'All the materials have been moved to a safe place,' he added. Israel has been launching missiles at Iran in an attempt to cripple its nuclear capabilities since last Friday, and US President Donald Trump was thinking about getting involved. But, Trump dramatically stepped back from the brink last night as Britain prepared to take part in peace talks with Iran. In the previous 48 hours, the US President had demanded Iran's 'unconditional surrender' and threatened air strikes 'in days'. However, after spending the afternoon locked away in the White House Situation Room, which he has dubbed 'the War Room', he said he would give Tehran two weeks in which to make a deal. Negotiations will start today with Britain, France and Germany due to sit down with Iran's foreign minister in Geneva. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt read out a statement from Mr Trump that said: 'Based on the fact that there's a substantial chance of negotiations that may or may not take place with Iran in the near future, I will make my decision whether or not to go within the next two weeks.' Senior Iranian commander Mohsen Rezaei said during a TV interview: ' Israel hit Natanz, Isfahan, Khandab, and Arak but they were already evacuated rump dramatically stepped back from the brink last night as Britain prepared to take part in peace talks with Iran The dramatic developments came on another day of horror as an Iranian ballistic missile struck Soroka Hospital, in Beersheba, which suffered extensive damage. The attack, a direct hit, left 71 injured and saw prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowing revenge. 'Iran's terrorist tyrants launched missiles at Soroka Hospital and at a civilian population in the centre of the country,' he said. 'We will exact the full price from the tyrants in Tehran.' The hospital hit threatened to tip the Middle East into all-out war as Israel's defence minister, Israel Katz, said that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's Supreme Leader, 'can no longer be allowed to exist', branding him 'the modern Hitler'. Mr Netanyahu also refused to rule out an assassination attempt. The US has previously vetoed two attempts on Khamenei's life. Israel also intensified its aerial attacks on Iran, blowing a large hole in a heavy water nuclear facility in Arak, having warned locals to evacuate the area in advance. Earlier in the week an Israeli strike hit the building housing Iran's state broadcaster in Tehran. Mr Trump's surprise retreat appeared a victory for the UK-led diplomatic push as Sir Keir Starmer appealed for 'cool heads'. The Prime Minister said: 'The principle is we need to de-escalate this. There is a real risk of escalation here that will impact the region, akin to Gaza, and will impact the economy. 'Yes, the nuclear issue needs to be dealt with but it is better dealt with by way of negotiations rather than conflict. 'I have been absolutely clear, we need to de-escalate this.' Last night, Foreign Secretary David Lammy held talks with the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington. Mr Lammy's also reinforced the de-escalation message. It is understood Mr Lammy will fly back from the US to attend the crunch discussions in Switzerland with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi. French and German foreign ministers are also due to attend. But the countries' positions on the conflict are opposed. France's president Emmanuel Macron has been critical of Israel and called for peace, while Germany's chancellor Friedrich Merz has supported Israel's actions. President Trump's peace envoy Steve Witkoff is also understood to be speaking to the Iranian foreign minister, who has repeatedly insisted Iran is acting in self-defence. Britain and Europe were also said to have warned Mr Trump that bombing Iran would put Westerners at risk, fearing that it would trigger a wave of revenge attacks. The two-week time limit is a tactic the President has used before, notably with Vladimir Putin over the future of Ukraine. But, given that deadline has now twice passed without any concessions from the Russian president, questions were last night being asked of how serious all of Mr Trump's tough talk is. Calls for a pause in hostilities came hours after US sources confirmed that the President had signed off detailed plans for US operations against Iranian nuclear facilities, believing they needed to be wiped out to stop Tehran forging an atomic bomb. Israel has attacked what it can but only 30,000lb US 'bunker buster' bombs have the capability to destroy plants such as at Fordow, deep in a mountain. Sources told CBS News that Mr Trump was open to letting Iran shut down Fordow but had made up his mind that it could not continue to operate. 'He believes there's not much choice,' one source said. 'Finishing the job means destroying Fordow.' The Israelis have also said that Operation Rising Lion, as the now seven-day bombing campaign has been called, would be a failure if Fordow remained. Ms Leavitt said that regime change was not Mr Trump's priority and called for people to 'trust President Trump'. She stressed that there was no change in the US's position that Iran cannot have a nuclear bomb. However, his apparent climbdown may owe more to how divisive military action was among President Trump's supporters, with the question of whether to bomb Iran causing infighting among his base.
Khaleej Times
12 hours ago
- Politics
- Khaleej Times
What are the nuclear contamination risks from Israel's attacks on Iran?
E[Editor's Note: Follow the KT live blog for live updates on the Israel-Iran conflict. ] Israel says it is determined to destroy Iran's nuclear capabilities in its military campaign, but that it also wants to avoid any nuclear disaster in a region that is home to tens of millions of people and produces much of the world's oil. Fears of catastrophe rippled through the Gulf on Thursday when the Israeli military said it had struck a site in Bushehr on the Gulf coast — home to Iran's only nuclear power station — only to later say the announcement was a mistake. Below are details on the damage caused so far by Israel's attacks, and what experts are saying about the risks of contamination and other disasters. What has Israel hit so far? Israel has announced attacks on nuclear sites in Natanz, Isfahan, Arak and Tehran itself. Israel says it aims to stop Iran building an atom bomb. Iran denies ever seeking one. The international nuclear watchdog IAEA has reported damage to the uranium enrichment plant at Natanz, to the nuclear complex at Isfahan, including the Uranium Conversion Facility, and to centrifuge production facilities in Karaj and Tehran. Israel said on Wednesday it had targeted Arak, also known as Khondab, the location of a partially built heavy-water research reactor, a type that can easily produce plutonium which, like enriched uranium, can be used to make the core of an atom bomb. The IAEA said it had information that the Khondab heavy water research reactor had been hit, but that it was not operational and reported no radiological effects. What fallout risks do these strikes pose? Peter Bryant, a professor at the University of Liverpool in England who specialises in radiation protection science and nuclear energy policy, said he is not too concerned about fallout risks from the strikes so far. He noted that the Arak site was not operational while the Natanz facility was underground and no release of radiation was reported. "The issue is controlling what has happened inside that facility, but nuclear facilities are designed for that," he said. "Uranium is only dangerous if it gets physically inhaled or ingested or gets into the body at low enrichments," he said. Darya Dolzikova, a senior research fellow at London think tank RUSI, said attacks on facilities at the front end of the nuclear fuel cycle - the stages where uranium is prepared for use in a reactor - pose primarily chemical, not radiological risks. At enrichment facilities, UF6, or uranium hexafluoride, is the concern. "When UF6 interacts with water vapour in the air, it produces harmful chemicals," she said. The extent to which any material is dispersed would depend on factors including weather conditions, she added. "In low winds, much of the material can be expected to settle in the vicinity of the facility; in high winds, the material will travel farther, but is also likely to disperse more widely." The risk of dispersal is lower for underground facilities. What about nuclear reactors? The major concern would be a strike on Iran's nuclear reactor at Bushehr. Richard Wakeford, Honorary Professor of Epidemiology at the University of Manchester, said that while contamination from attacks on enrichment facilities would be "mainly a chemical problem" for the surrounding areas, extensive damage to large power reactors "is a different story". Radioactive elements would be released either through a plume of volatile materials or into the sea, he added. James Acton, co-director of the Nuclear Policy Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said an attack on Bushehr "could cause an absolute radiological catastrophe", but that attacks on enrichment facilities were "unlikely to cause significant off-site consequences". Before uranium goes into a nuclear reactor it is barely radioactive, he said. "The chemical form uranium hexafluoride is toxic ... but it actually doesn't tend to travel large distances and it's barely radioactive. So far the radiological consequences of Israel's attacks have been virtually nil," he added, while stating his opposition to Israel's campaign. Why are Gulf states especially worried? For Gulf states, the impact of any strike on Bushehr would be worsened by the potential contamination of Gulf waters, jeopardising a critical source of desalinated potable water. In the UAE, desalinated water accounts for more than 80% of drinking water, while Bahrain became fully reliant on desalinated water in 2016, with 100% of groundwater reserved for contingency plans, according to authorities. Qatar is 100% dependent on desalinated water. In Saudi Arabia, a much larger nation with a greater reserve of natural groundwater, about 50% of the water supply came from desalinated water as of 2023, according to the General Authority for Statistics. While some Gulf states like Saudi Arabia, Oman and the UAE have access to more than one sea to draw water from, countries like Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait are crowded along the shoreline of the Gulf with no other coastline. "If a natural disaster, oil spill, or even a targeted attack were to disrupt a desalination plant, hundreds of thousands could lose access to freshwater almost instantly," said Nidal Hilal, Professor of Engineering and Director of New York University Abu Dhabi's Water Research Center. "Coastal desalination plants are especially vulnerable to regional hazards like oil spills and potential nuclear contamination," he said.
The National
13 hours ago
- Politics
- The National
Iran to meet European powers as war with Israel enters second week
Iran will hold talks with European powers on Friday in a first glimmer of peace hopes as its air war with Israel enters a second week. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi will meet his counterparts from Britain, Germany, France and the EU in Geneva. French minister Jean-Noel Barrot said Tehran had signalled it was willing to negotiate "provided that a ceasefire can be achieved". US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Mr Araghchi have spoken by phone several times since the air war began, diplomatic sources told Reuters. The White House signalled that President Donald Trump had yet to decide whether to enter the war. Israel widened its attack on Iran's nuclear programme on a seventh day of strikes on Thursday. Fighter pilots hit a heavy water reactor in Arak to stop Iran using it to produce plutonium, the Israeli military said. The factory has been a source of concern as it could provide Iran with an alternative to enriching uranium, and UN inspectors have little knowledge about its operations. The International Atomic Energy Agency said there were "no radiological effects". The Israeli air force also hit an alleged "nuclear weapons development site" near Natanz. Israel walked back from claims it had also hit a functioning nuclear power plant along the Gulf coast. An Iranian diplomat told Reuters that Bushehr was not hit and Israel was waging "psychological warfare" by discussing it. Any attack on the plant, near Arab neighbours and housing Russian technicians, is viewed as risking nuclear disaster. Iran responded with a further wave of strikes. The southern Soroka hospital in Israel was heavily damaged in an apparent ballistic missile attack. The hospital has more than 1,000 beds and provides services to about one million residents of Israel's south. The National heard the sounds of missile interceptions and impacts for at least 10 minutes in Jerusalem. The fire service said there was a 'direct hit' on a residential building in the Tel Aviv area. Israel expressed outrage. Defence Minister Israel Katz said Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei"can no longer be allowed to exist", just days after reports that the US vetoed plans to assassinate him. "Khamenei openly declares that he wants Israel destroyed - he personally gives the order to fire on hospitals," Mr Katz told journalists near Tel Aviv. "Such a man can no longer be allowed to exist." Iran said it had caused only "superficial damage" to the hospital, claiming it had aimed at an Israeli intelligence site nearby. Mr Araghchi contrasted the strike with bombings of Gaza 's medical facilities during Israel's invasion of the strip. "It is the Israeli regime and not Iran that initiated all this bloodshed, and it is Israeli war criminals and not Iranians who are targeting hospitals and civilians," he said. Israeli medics said dozens of people were injured across the country, including two seriously, in what appeared to be Iran's largest barrage since the war broke out. The Israeli army accused Iran of targeting civilians. "This is exactly why we launched this operation. We cannot allow Iran to obtain nuclear weapons," said Israeli Brig Gen Effie Defrin. Iran denies it is developing atomic weapons. Before Israel's attack it had held several rounds of indirect talks with the US on a possible nuclear deal, replacing a 2015 pact that was abandoned by Mr Trump during his first term. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu he would welcome "all help" with destroying Iran's nuclear sites. Tehran on Thursday turned its anger on the head of the UN's nuclear watchdog, Rafael Grossi, who has repeatedly said he cannot be sure whether Iran's nuclear activities are peaceful. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baqaei said reports by Mr Grossi's IAEA were "aboslutely biased". "Misleading narratives have dire consequences, Mr Grossi, and demand accountability," he said. Mr Grossi retorted that his warnings "could never be conceived as a justification" for war. No clear path to peace has emerged despite countries such as Oman and Russia being floated as mediators. However, Iran's Tasnim news agency said the planned meeting in Geneva "appears to be a promising sign of diplomatic efforts". France's Mr Barrot said his country had a "willingness to resume negotiations, provided that these negotiations can lead to a lasting, substantial reversal by Iran of its nuclear programme, its ballistic missile programme and its regional destabilisation activities'. A UK official said Foreign Secretary David Lammy was ready for talks to "press for a diplomatic solution". An agreement is needed 'to address the nuclear issue for the long term', they told The National. A spokesman for German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he had briefed Sheikh Tamim, Emir of Qatar, on the planned meetings. Ali Larijani, an adviser to Iran's supreme leader, called for resistance against Israel's attacks to force it into negotiations. He said that "nobody is looking for a lengthy war", according to Iranian media. Travel disruption continued around the Middle East. The war has forced the cancellation and delay of hundreds of flights at airports, leaving thousands of travellers stranded abroad. 'The situation is absolutely ridiculous,' Iraqi citizen Mujtaba told The National as he stood outside an Iraqi Airways office in Beirut waiting for a way home. "It's all a farce." Shipping company Maersk said it would pause calling at the port of Haifa in Israel. It will continue to operate vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.
