By NewsNation | Source

World Health Organization officials are preparing for a potential nuclear catastrophe as U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran’s atomic sites continue to escalate, the agency’s regional director for the eastern Mediterranean warned.

“The worst-case scenario is a nuclear incident, and that’s something that worries us the most,” Hanan Balkhy, WHO regional director for the eastern Mediterranean, told Politico.

“As much as we prepare, there’s nothing that can prevent the harm that will come … the region’s way — and globally if this eventually happens — and the consequences are going to last for decades.”

Balkhy said WHO staff are prepared for a nuclear incident in its “broader sense,” including a strike on a nuclear facility or the use of a weapon, and are being refreshed on how to respond, including public health guidance for officials and protective measures for civilians.

The U.S. and Israel have targeted Iranian nuclear infrastructure since launching a new offensive Feb. 28.

The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran confirmed attacks at its Fordow, Isfahan and Natanz sites. To date, no radioactive contamination has been reported anywhere in the region, Politico reported.

President Donald Trump has vowed to “eliminate the imminent nuclear threat posed by the Iranian regime,” though he has provided no evidence that Tehran was developing a nuclear weapon.

Some senior figures have begun to speculate openly about nuclear escalation. David Sacks, Trump’s AI adviser, said he was concerned about “Israel escalating the war by contemplating using a nuclear weapon.” Trump dismissed the suggestion, telling reporters: “Israel wouldn’t do that.”

Israel and the United Arab Emirates also have nuclear facilities within range of Iranian missiles, though neither has been reported as targeted. Israel is widely believed to possess a significant nuclear arsenal, Politico reported.

Related