Russia’s United Nations ambassador is claiming the Trump administration’s devastating airstrikes on Iran have opened a "Pandora's box" and could lead to a global "nuclear catastrophe."
Vassily Nebenzia, speaking during an emergency meeting of the Security Council on Sunday, said Russia "vehemently condemns the irresponsible, dangerous, and provocative actions taken by the USA against the Islamic Republic of Iran, which is a sovereign country and a U.N. member state."
"Through its actions, the U.S. has opened Pandora's box, and no one knows what new consequences this may lead to," Nebenzia said.
"I think it is obvious to everyone in this chamber that unless we stop the escalation, the Middle East will find itself on the brink of a large-scale conflict, which is fraught with unpredictable consequences for the entire international security architecture. And the whole world could find itself on the verge of a nuclear catastrophe," he added.
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Nebenzia also accused the Trump administration of being "completely unconcerned about either the radiological consequences or the threat to the lives and health of a huge number of civilians, including women and children, in the region and beyond" following the airstrikes Saturday on Iran’s Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan nuclear facilities during Operation Midnight Hammer.
"We have persistently offered our American colleagues our mediation services so as to find a peaceful and mutually agreeable solution to the contradictions surrounding the Iranian nuclear program. But it appears that diplomacy is not what our U.S. colleagues currently need. Responsibility for all this falls squarely on the shoulders of the American leadership," Nebenzia said, calling for "all parties to exercise restraint and return into the fold of international diplomacy and negotiations."
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International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi also said Monday, "Given the explosive payload utilized, and the extreme vibration-sensitive nature of centrifuges, very significant damage is expected to have occurred" at Fordow.
"At the Isfahan nuclear site, additional buildings were hit, with the U.S. confirming their use of cruise missiles," he added. "Affected buildings include some related to the uranium conversion process. Also at this site, entrances to tunnels used for the storage of enriched material appear to have been hit.
"At the Natanz enrichment site, the Fuel Enrichment Plant was hit, with the U.S. confirming that it used ground-penetrating munitions," Grossi said.
"Iran has informed the IAEA that there was no increase in off-site radiation levels at all three sites," he added.
