Natanz / Vienna — Fears of a regional nuclear disaster are soaring after powerful explosions tore through Iran’s Natanz nuclear complex, with inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) warning of a “non‑trivial risk” of a radiation leak if damaged facilities cannot be stabilized quickly.

Iranian state TV has confirmed “enemy strikes” on Natanz, long the centerpiece of Tehran’s uranium enrichment program, admitting that several underground halls and above‑ground support buildings were hit. Satellite imagery shows scorched craters, collapsed roofs and smoke billowing from vents linked to buried centrifuge halls.

In a stark late‑night briefing, an IAEA spokesperson said preliminary sensor data indicates “abnormal spikes” in radiation levels inside parts of the complex and “possible minor releases” into the surrounding environment. While stressing there is no immediate global threat, the agency compared the situation to “the early, most uncertain hours” of past nuclear incidents and urged Iran to grant full, immediate access to emergency inspection teams.

Tehran insists the situation is “under control” and accuses Israel and the United States of attempting to engineer “a Chernobyl for Iran.” Local authorities have quietly begun distributing iodine tablets in nearby towns and restricting movement around the site, even as officials deny any “public health crisis.”

Downwind neighbors are demanding answers. Gulf states and Turkey have requested real‑time radiation data, while energy markets, already rattled by war, now face the specter of a nuclear‑tainted conflict zone. As the world watches Natanz for signs of smoke, steam — or something worse — one question dominates: has the battle over Iran’s nuclear program crossed the line from covert sabotage into a catastrophe no one can fully control?