Key Points

Al-Sudani's directive was made during a meeting with the Central Emergency Operations Room for Radiological and Nuclear Incidents to assess the country's readiness to address potential emergencies, Xinhua news agency reported quoting a statement by his media office. Specialists briefed al-Sudani that no increase in background radiation levels had been detected across Iraq, it said. The emergency operations room also affirmed the "full readiness of response teams to undertake necessary procedures in case of a radiological emergency," it added.

As the Israeli-Iranian conflict continues to escalate, reports of Israeli airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities have increased regional concerns about potential radiation leaks. Meanwhile, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesman Effie Defrin said in a video statement that the Israeli Air Force has launched new attacks in western Iran.

He said that Israeli jets flew over launch and storage sites for surface-to-surface missiles on Wednesday evening, targeting operatives attempting to access and remove munitions from locations previously struck. According to the spokesperson, this marked the third major wave of Israeli airstrikes over Iran in the past 24 hours. The initial overnight operation involved more than 50 fighter jets hitting approximately 40 targets around Tehran. The second wave of strikes began Wednesday afternoon, with over 20 additional targets in the Tehran area hit.

- IANS