Kurdistan Region says radiation levels normal amid attacks on Iranian nuclear sites

SULAYMANIYAH — Radiation monitoring systems remain fully operational across all major cities in the Kurdistan Region, local authorities said, following public concerns over potential fallout from Israeli airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.

Ranjdar Raouf, head of the radiation division at the Sulaymaniyah Environment Directorate, told 964media that detection systems are active and transmitting data regularly. “Radiation detection equipment is in place in all cities of the Kurdistan Region. It includes a monitor and a display unit. The sensor is placed outside, while the data is transmitted to the indoor screen,” he said.

He said the announcement was intended to reassure the public and not to cause alarm.

Raouf confirmed that monitoring remains ongoing in light of recent regional developments. “Each city submits its readings to Baghdad. According to the latest data, the situation is normal and there is no recorded radiation threat,” Raouf said.

Concerns have grown among residents in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region over the possibility that strikes on Iranian nuclear sites could lead to environmental or health risks. Fears of radiation leaks or escalation have fueled unease as hostilities between Israel and Iran continue.

Sulaymaniyah Governor Haval Abubakr said radiation monitoring systems have been in place for a decade. “For the past decade, a radiation detection device has been stationed in our area. So far, there has been no indication or recorded threat,” he said in a post on his official Facebook page.

Abubakr also cited a statement by Iraq’s Atomic Energy Oversight agency that said inspections would be carried out in the event of attacks on nuclear sites. He confirmed that radiation monitors are deployed in every governorate and are operated by trained personnel.

“The device was provided to the Sulaymaniyah Environment Directorate by the federal government 10 years ago,” he wrote. “It is operated continuously by a trained team, and due to the current conditions in the region, they remain fully active. Up to now, no radiation signals or threats have been detected.”