Press TV

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has warned that recurrent attacks targeting the country’s only nuclear power plant as part of the ongoing US-Israeli aggression could lead to a huge radiological catastrophe in the region.

Araghchi said in a Saturday post on his X account that a renewed attack earlier in the day on the Bushehr nuclear power plant, located on the Persian Gulf coast in southwest Iran, could lead to a radioactive fallout endangering life in the entire region.

The foreign minister criticized the silence and inaction of Western governments in condemning the highly dangerous attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities as he drew a parallel between a similar alleged attack by Russia on a major Ukrainian nuclear power plant in early 2022.

”Remember the Western outrage about hostilities near Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine? … Israel-U.S. have bombed our Bushehr plant four times now. Radioactive fallout will end life in GCC capitals, not Tehran,” he said, making a reference to member states of the (Persian) Gulf Cooperation Council.

Araghchi further criticized US-Israeli attacks on Iran’s civilian and non-military infrastructure, including attacks earlier on Saturday on the country’s petrochemical facilities.

He said such attacks expose the real nature of the US-Israeli aggression on Iran and the fact that it is aimed at weakening Iran’s economic and civilian capabilities as a developing country.

“Attacks on our petrochemicals also convey real objectives,” said the top diplomat.

The comments come as the United States and Israel continue to launch air strikes on Iran’s economic facilities, including on bridges, steel mills and other factories, as part of an aggression that began in late February.

Iran has responded fiercely to the attacks by hitting US-related targets in the Persian Gulf and West Asia region as well as areas in the Israeli-occupied territories.

Iran has also tightened its restrictions on the flow of energy through the Strait of Hormuz, causing international oil prices to hit record highs.

Iranian authorities have indicated the measures will continue until the aggressors are fully punished.