Israel-Iran conflict: Saudi Arabia, 5 other Gulf countries' ambassadors raise concern about nuclear facilities' safety

Ambassadors from the six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries — Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Oman — have raised serious concerns about the safety of nuclear facilities near their borders amid escalating tensions between Israel and Iran.

According to Qatar's state news agency, the ambassadors voiced their concerns directly to Rafael Grossi, the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), during a meeting in Vienna today (21 June), reports Arab News.

They warned of the "dangerous repercussions" that could result from any military action targeting nuclear infrastructure in the region.

The warning follows confusion over a statement made by the Israeli military on Thursday, in which it initially claimed to have struck Iran's Russian-built Bushehr nuclear facility. The comment was later retracted, with Israeli authorities clarifying that the remark had been made in error.

Bushehr, Iran's only operational nuclear power plant, is located on the country's southern Gulf coast.

Any damage to the facility could have devastating consequences, potentially releasing radioactive material into the air and contaminating water sources — a scenario that has long alarmed neighbouring Gulf states.