TEHRAN (FNA)- The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) announced it has started a probe into the risks that a possible US airstrike against Syria can pose to the countrys nuclear facilities.The investigation came at request of Russia who voiced its concern of a nuclear threat that can arouse from a bomb strike on crisis-hit Syria.
Yukiya Amano, the Director-General of the UN nuclear watchdog confirmed on Monday he had received a letter from Russia calling on the atomic authority to analyze the risks of a warhead striking Syrias Miniature Neutron Source Reactor (MNSR) near Damascus or other nuclear sites, the Voice of Russia reported.
Amano stressed that the message had been circulated among IAEAs members and was reviewed by the agency.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov earlier met with his Syrian counterpart, Walid al-Mualem, stressing there was no alternative to a peace settlement in Syria. Russias stance is quite clear and does not change that easily, Lavrov claimed.
The call for military action against Syria intensified after foreign-backed opposition forces accused the Syrian government of launching a chemical attack on militant strongholds in the suburbs of Damascus on August 21.
Damascus has vehemently denied the accusations, saying the chemical attack was carried out by the militants themselves as a false flag operation.
Syria has been gripped by deadly unrest since 2011. According to reports, the western powers and their regional allies -- especially Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey -- are supporting the militants operating inside Syria.
According to the United Nations, more than 100,000 people have been killed and a total of 7.8 million of others displaced due to the violence.
By Fars News Agency
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