Challenges before IAEA after attacks on Iran’s nuclear sites

The attacks by the United States and Israel on Iran’s nuclear sites mark the first time any country’s operational nuclear facilities have been targeted to destroy them. Asa result, numerous concerns have emerged in the aftermath of the attacks, including the risk of radiation leaks.While Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the global nuclear watchdog, have reported no increase in radiation levels so far, other worries persist.

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These include concerns about the safety and whereabouts of nuclear material stored at the targeted facilities — Natanz, Isfahan and Fordow.

The attacks could also disrupt IAEA's access to these nuclear sites which has till now helped the organisation, and the rest of the world, gather information about the goings-on at the facilities. This is a relatively easy exercise. Every nuclear facility, anywhere in the world, is fitted with instruments that monitor radiation levels in real time. In most cases, the data are shared with the I[AEA.Iran is a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) as anon-nuclear weapon state. In that capacity, it ad to mandatorily enter into a comprehensive safeguards agreement with the IAEA, which allows the organisation to install its own equipment to monitor activities, including radiation levels.Bigger radiation leaks can even be detected from far away. Nuclear radiation typically consists of alpha, beta, and gamma rays, and neutrons.Of these, gamma rays can travel long dis-tances, and can potentially be detected by sensors in other countries. In certain cases, signatures of a leak can be cap-tured by satellites as well, though notin real time.