TEHRAN – US-Israeli strike near Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant killed one security personally and sparked fears of a radioactive leak. While the main reactor remained unharmed, an auxiliary building was damaged, prompting international concern and the evacuation of foreign personnel.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned the attack could expose the region to serious nuclear hazards, as tensions escalate around the country’s sensitive industrial and nuclear sites.
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed that a security personnel was killed after being struck by projectile fragments during Saturday’s attack near the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant. Despite the violence, Iranian authorities informed the agency that no increase in radiation levels had been detected after strike.
Iranian officials denounced the attack, and approached secretary-general of United Nations António Guterres. Araghchi warned that targeting nuclear facilities could expose the entire region to the grave risk of radioactive contamination, potentially triggering a disaster with consequences far beyond Iran’s borders.
Araghchi said Bushehr facility has been struck four times since the conflict erupted on February 28, raising alarm about what he described as the international community’s failure to protect sensitive nuclear infrastructure during the escalating war involving Washington and Tel Aviv.
The attack sparked deep concern from global nuclear watchdog. IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said he was “deeply concerned” by the reported incident and reiterated that nuclear sites and surrounding facilities must never become military targets. He stressed that even auxiliary buildings can house critical safety systems necessary to prevent catastrophic accidents.
The situation triggered precautionary measures for foreign workers at the site. Russia’s state nuclear corporation, Rosatom, announced that around 200 Russian specialists had been evacuated from the facility shortly after the strike. Rosatom chief Alexei Likhachev said buses carrying the workers departed the plant approximately 20 minutes after the attack, heading toward the Iranian-Armenian border as part of the largest evacuation wave so far.
Iran’s Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant is near southern coast, and is operational nuclear reactor and a key strategic and industrial facility. Construction began in 70s with German support but was halted after the 1979 revolution, later resuming with Russian assistance in the 1990s.
The plant started producing electricity in 2011, using a VVER‑1000 pressurized water reactor with a capacity of around 915 MW. It plays a small but significant role in Iran’s national power supply and relies heavily on Russian personnel and technology. Due to the presence of nuclear material, the site is highly sensitive, and experts and the IAEA warn that any attacks nearby could pose serious risks of radioactive contamination, making it a focal point in regional geopolitical tensions.
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