Western Media Coverage of Iran-Israel Conflict Overlooks Nuclear Risk Element — MFA

Maria Zakharova warned against assuming that just because so-called "precision strikes" are being carried out, a nuclear disaster is out of the question

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova Peter Kovalev/TASS

© Peter Kovalev/TASS

ST. PETERSBURG, June 20. /TASS/. The escalating conflict between Israel and Iran poses a serious nuclear threat, but Western media continue to overlook this in their coverage, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at the 19th General Assembly of the Organization of Asia-Pacific News Agencies (OANA), hosted by TASS during the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).

"It’s remarkable how little attention Western media are paying to the nuclear risks involved," she said, referring to missile and airstrikes near or targeting nuclear-related facilities. "No alarm bells are being rung, no calls for restraint - as if this is just another routine escalation that we’ve seen many times before."

Zakharova criticized Western news coverage for focusing only on strike counts, casualty numbers, and visuals of the destruction, without reflecting the broader and more dangerous implications of the conflict.

She warned against assuming that just because so-called "precision strikes" are being carried out, a nuclear disaster is out of the question. "Sure, it’s easy to claim that these are targeted, carefully calculated operations, but we’ve already witnessed missiles going off course, triggering fires and explosions far from their intended targets," she said.

"Radiation doesn’t check passports. It doesn’t care about ethnicity, borders, or permissions. It seeps into water, air, and soil - and it can remain there for decades, even centuries, destroying lives," Zakharova concluded.

The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) is taking place on June 18-21. This year, the event is held under the theme "Shared Values: The Foundation of Growth in a Multipolar World." The program includes the SME Forum, the Creative Industries Forum, the Day of the Future International Youth Economic Forum, the Drug Security Forum, and the Roscongress Urban Hub discussion platform. The Roscongress Foundation is the organizer of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. TASS is its information partner.