// ENERGY, CLIMATE AND ENVIRONMENT: ENERGY
INTERVIEW
Strengthening nuclear safety in a fragmented world
Why is strengthening nuclear safety so critical, in the wake of the attacks on Ukraine’s and Iran’s nuclear facilities? War is a new dimension in nuclear safety. That a war is being fought around the facilities of a large nuclear power programme is unprecedented, but this is the situation we find our- selves in Ukraine. And then came the strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities and the war in the Middle East. Right now, war is the single biggest threat to nuclear safety. The International Atomic Energy Agency is very involved. We are on the ground in Ukraine at all the nuclear power plants. We have developed the Seven Pillars of Nuclear Safety and Security. We have been very clear that nuclear facilities must not be attacked because this would risk an accident with radiological consequences. I have been clear about it with regards to both the conflict in Ukraine and the conflict in the Middle East. The IAEA is keeping the international commu- nity updated on the impacts of these conflicts on the seven pillars, bring- ing an important level of transparency through our technical expertise and our global reach. How has the IAEA been working, given the constraints of geopolitical competition? In Ukraine, we have been at the front lines – literally. Some 180 staff mem- bers have been deployed at Ukraine’s five nuclear power plant sites. More than 220 deliveries have ensured that nuclear safety and security equipment worth over €25 million has reached Ukraine. I have negotiated multiple cease-fires to allow for repairs of elec- tric infrastructure critical for nuclear safety. On Iran, I have been emphatic: any agreement will need the IAEA to verify that it is being kept. Without that, you will not know whether it will be complied with or not. Geopolitical competition is real. But all sides understand that an impar-
With multiple conflicts directly threatening nuclear facilities, the risks to global safety have entered uncharted territory. Diplomacy, technical assistance and safeguard verification are all essential in the pursuit of peace and development
Interview with Rafael Mariano Grossi, director-general,
International Atomic Energy Agency
98 // G7 FRANCE: THE ÉVIAN SUMMIT 2026
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