The head of the U.N.’s nuclear watchdog warned Monday that strikes close to Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power facility “pose a very real danger to nuclear safety and must stop.”
The facility, located in the south of Iran and equipped with a 1,000-megawatt reactor, has been targeted four times since the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran began. The latest strike was reported by Iranian state media on Saturday.
Strikes near the operating plant "could cause a severe radiological accident with harmful consequences for people and the environment in Iran and beyond," said Rafael Grossi, director of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), on X.
Russia, whose specialists help operate the plant, said the strikes risked a "radiological disaster more devastating than Chernobyl".
"We once again urgently call for an immediate cessation of hostilities," the Russian foreign ministry said.
The IAEA analyzed satellite imagery of the site, confirming the impact of the latest strike, which did not damage the power plant.
Grossi added that one strike hit just 75 meters (246 feet) from the plant perimeter.
"A nuclear facility and surrounding areas should never be struck," he said.
Bushehr, built with help from Russia, is Iran's only operational nuclear power reactor, according to the IAEA.
Russian state media reported that 198 workers at the plant were evacuated just after the latest strike, with about 100 Russian staff remaining at the site.
