Australia's nuclear emergency centre 'on alert' over conflict in Iran
Australia's premier nuclear organisation has confirmed its emergency centre is "on alert" as the fallout from the Middle East conflict continues.
The Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA), which monitors the threat of radiation to Australia via the Radiation Emergency Coordination Centre (RECC), said it made the precautionary move after the USA and Israel carried out strikes on Iran last weekend.
"The ARPANSA Radiation Emergency Coordination Centre (RECC) is on alert, and is monitoring the current situation," an ARPANSA spokesperson told nine.com.au.
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Australia's nuclear emergency watchdog is now "on alert". AP Photo/Vahid Salemi
"The current alert status is precautionary and preparedness‑focused."
The spokesperson insisted the change did not mean there was an imminent threat of radiation being released as a result of the conflict or through other means.
"If required, ARPANSA will provide advice to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) as the lead agency for the current conflict," they added.
Now the centre is on alert, it can provide 24-hour access to expert advice in the event of a radiation incident, as well as specialised monitoring capabilities.
Australia pledged its support for the US operations in Iran, which led to the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday.
This morning Foreign Minister Penny Wong admitted she was concerned the conflict was spreading, after it was confirmed an Iranian ballistic missile was fired at Turkey.
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Foreign Minister Penny Wong admits she is "concerned" by the way the conflict is growing and developing. Nine
"I am concerned that the conflict is spreading so much," she told Today this morning.
"I am concerned, for example, that Iran is now seeking to strike Turkey, which is a NATO member.
"Now, the more this conflict spreads, the harder it will be for peace and stability to be resumed … at some point, there has to be a return to diplomacy and dialogue for there to be stability."
Around 150,000 Australians are estimated to be in the Middle East, though some are beginning to return home on repatriation flights.
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