UN Watchdog Says Projectile Struck Iran's Bushehr Nuclear Plant

(MENAFN- Khaama Press) The International Atomic Energy Agency said on Wednesday that a projectile struck the premises of Iran's Bushehr nuclear power plant on Tuesday evening, in the first reported direct hit on an operating Iranian nuclear facility since the start of the current war. Iran told the U.N. watchdog that there was no damage to the plant and no injuries among staff.

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi renewed his call for maximum restraint, warning that any military action against nuclear sites could trigger a dangerous accident. His remarks reflected mounting concern over the risks of attacks on sensitive atomic infrastructure during an already widening conflict.

Bushehr, located in southwestern Iran, is the country's only operating nuclear power reactor and has been connected to the national grid since 2011. Its status makes any strike near the site especially sensitive, even when no immediate physical damage is reported.

Iran has long said its nuclear programme is peaceful and aimed at energy production, though it has faced heavy sanctions and international scrutiny since the United States withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal in 2018. The Bushehr incident is likely to deepen fears of further attacks on critical nuclear infrastructure.

Reuters reported that Russia's Rosatom, which helped complete Bushehr and is still involved in nuclear projects in Iran, condemned a strike near the plant and said radiation levels remained normal. The company urged de-escalation to prevent any threat to nuclear safety.

Bushehr was originally begun by German firms before Iran's 1979 revolution and was later completed with Russian assistance. Rosatom has continued work in Iran, including plans tied to additional units at Bushehr.

The strike comes during the third week of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, a conflict that has already hit military, energy and strategic sites across the region. Any expansion toward nuclear facilities raises the stakes sharply for Iran and its neighbours.

Even without casualties or structural damage, the incident is likely to amplify international alarm over the vulnerability of nuclear sites in wartime. The IAEA's warning underlines how quickly a conventional strike near such facilities could spiral into a much broader disaster.

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