'The war in the Middle East has reached a perilous stage': WHO warns after strikes on nuclear sites

WHO warns nuclear strikes escalate Middle East

The Middle East conflict has entered a “perilous stage,” the World Health Organization warned on Sunday, following strikes near nuclear sites in both Iran and Israel, urging all sides to exercise maximum restraint.

Late on Saturday, an Iranian ballistic missile struck the southern Israeli town of Dimona, damaging residential buildings and wounding dozens.

Dimona is widely believed to host the Middle East’s only nuclear arsenal, though Israel has never formally confirmed this, maintaining that the facility is used solely for research.

Iran described the attack as retaliation for an earlier strike on its Natanz nuclear site, which contains underground centrifuges for uranium enrichment and sustained damage during the June 2025 conflict.

“The war in the Middle East has reached a perilous stage” with the strikes on Natanz and Dimona, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on X.

“Attacks targeting nuclear sites create an escalating threat to public health and environmental safety,” he added.

“I urgently call on all parties to exercise maximum military restraint and avoid any actions that could trigger nuclear incidents. Leaders must prioritise de-escalation and protect civilians.”

Tedros said the International Atomic Energy Agency was looking into the strikes, and "no indications of abnormal or increased off-site radiation levels have been reported".

The war erupted on February 28 when the United States and Israel began their attacks on Iran, with Tehran in turn striking targets in Israel and Gulf nations.

Lebanon was drawn into the conflict when Iran-backed Hezbollah attacked Israel.

Since the war began, the WHO has provided training to its own staff and to other United Nations personnel across 13 countries to help them respond to public health threats in the event of a nuclear incident, said Tedros.

(With AFP inputs)