• Russia warns Israel that attacks on Iranian nuclear sites risk catastrophic consequences.
• Israel has retracted claims about striking the Bushehr nuclear facility, targeting other sites instead.
• Concerns are heightened among Gulf states regarding environmental fallout from potential strikes.

Russia has warned Israel against its ongoing strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, particularly emphasizing the potential environmental disaster from an attack on the Bushehr nuclear power plant. "Israel’s actions put the world on the brink of a catastrophe," said Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for the Russian foreign ministry, highlighting the concerns for the safety of both the facility and Russian specialists working there, according to Newsweek.

On Thursday, Israeli military officials walked back an earlier claim that it had struck the Bushehr facility, indicating it was a "mistake". They confirmed strikes on other sites, including Natanz, Isfahan, and Arak. The ambiguity surrounding any potential attack on Bushehr, recognized as Iran’s only operational plant, increases worries about air and water contamination, particularly for neighboring Gulf states, which depend heavily on desalinated water resources, reports India Times and TRT Global.

The concerns from the Gulf states have led to preparations for potential radiological fallout, with nations like Bahrain activating public safety measures, according to local media reports. Qatar’s Prime Minister warned that contamination from any nuclear incident could endanger water supplies critical to over 60 million people in the region. He indicated that countries like Qatar, the UAE, and Kuwait could face dire consequences if Gulf waters were to become contaminated, as noted by TRT Global and India Times.

In response to the rising tensions, Russia has reiterated its stance against U.S. military intervention in the region, cautioning that it would have unpredictable negative outcomes, as stated by Zakharova. She emphasized the importance of dialogue regarding Iran’s nuclear program and indicated that Moscow remains concerned about its personnel's safety at Bushehr, according to Africa News and TRT Global.