A projectile struck the area adjacent to the metrology service building at Iran's Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant on Tuesday evening, according to statements from Russia and Iran. The incident has raised concerns over potential radioactive contamination, though both countries have reported no release of nuclear material or casualties.
Russia's state-owned Rosatom corporation confirmed that the strike hit close to the operating power unit but that there were no injuries among its personnel. The radiation situation at the site is normal, said Rosatom CEO Alexey Likhachev, as quoted by Tass news agency. The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran also issued a statement saying no financial, technical, or human damage occurred and that no part of the plant was harmed.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) stated it had been informed by Iran of the projectile strike, adding that no damage to the plant or injuries to staff were reported. The type of projectile remains unclear, and neither Iran nor Russia have published images of the damage. Tass reported that Iran blamed the United States and Israel for the attack.
Bushehr, located on the Persian Gulf, houses an Iranian navy base and a civilian-and-military airport with air defence systems. Contamination of the Gulf waters could pose a risk to millions in Gulf states reliant on desalination plants. The plant, which uses Russian-made low-enriched uranium and is operated with Russian assistance, was connected to the power grid in 2011 after years of construction delays.
This incident follows US strikes in June on three Iranian nuclear enrichment sites, which destroyed centrifuge equipment but did not target the Bushehr plant. During the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s, Iraq repeatedly bombed the site in an attempt to halt Tehran's nuclear programme.
