"World Health Organization": The War in the Middle East Has Reached a "Critical Stage"

SadaNews - The World Health Organization warned today, Sunday, that the war in the Middle East has reached a "critical stage" amid strikes on nuclear sites in Iran and Israel, urging for a halt to military escalation.

An Iranian ballistic missile caused significant damage to residential buildings and left dozens injured on Saturday evening in the city of Dimona in southern Israel.

Dimona is believed to house the only nuclear arsenal in the Middle East, although Israel has never acknowledged possessing nuclear weapons and emphasizes that the site is used for research, according to the "Associated Press".

Iran stated that the strike was in response to attacks on the Natanz nuclear site, where there are underground centrifuges used for uranium enrichment, as part of Tehran's disputed nuclear program, which sustained damage in June (June) 2025.

Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated on "X" that "attacks targeting nuclear sites represent an escalating threat to public health and environmental safety... I urgently urge all parties to exercise maximum restraint and avoid any actions that may lead to nuclear incidents." He added that "leaders must prioritize de-escalation and the protection of civilians."

Tedros noted that the International Atomic Energy Agency is examining the implications of the strikes and "no signs of abnormal and additional radiation levels have been recorded outside the two sites."

Tedros mentioned that since the outbreak of the Middle East war on February 28, the World Health Organization has trained its staff and United Nations personnel in 13 countries to respond to any public health threats in the event of a nuclear accident.