UN News Today 06 April 2026 |

UN nuclear watchdog confirms strike near Iran nuclear plant

The UN’s nuclear agency, the IAEA, has confirmed reports that Iran’s nuclear power plant near the coastal city of Bushehr was almost hit by a military strike on the weekend.

According to the agency, a projectile landed just 75 metres from the perimeter of the plant.

Analysis of satellite imagery shows that the facility itself has not been damaged, but IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi warned that continued military activity near the site poses serious risks.

In a statement released on Monday, Mr. Grossi said that such incidents highlight the very real danger to nuclear safety and reiterated that nuclear facilities and surrounding areas must never be struck.

Lebanon: Attacks on healthcare ‘cannot become the new norm’ says Tedros

Meanwhile in Lebanon, at least four people were killed and a further 39 injured in a missile strike, reportedly by Israeli forces, which hit a site close to Beirut’s Rafik Hariri University Hospital on Sunday.

The hospital itself was not damaged, but the incident adds to growing concern from the World Health Organization over a spate of attacks close to critical health infrastructure.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus responded to the attacks by posting on social media that such acts “cannot be the new norm,” and that “the protection of healthcare is not optional, but a universal obligation.”

Since the escalation of the Middle East conflict on 28 February, a total of 92 attacks on health facilities, medical transport, personnel and warehouses have been verified, resulting in at least 53 deaths and 137 injuries.

Middle East crisis adds to financial strain in developing countries

The crisis in the Middle East has led to a marked weakening of the currencies in developing countries, according to the UN trade agency, UNCTAD.

On the whole, currencies in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Developing Asia and Oceania were all becoming stronger, compared to the US dollar, before the escalation of military action at the end of February.

Since then, rising uncertainty has led to investor pullback, weakening currencies and increasing borrowing costs, making it harder for countries to access financing.

Rising oil prices – linked to reduced traffic through the Strait of Hormuz – are increasing transport, electricity and agricultural costs in countries that depend on imports, and nations across Asia are taking emergency measures, including power cuts and imposing limits on fuel sales.

Conor Lennon, UN News.