Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant targeted in Israeli strikes, no damages reported

Iran’s Atomic Energy Organisation issued a statement confirming, “no financial, technical, or human damage occurred and no part of the plant was harmed.”

A projectile struck the grounds of Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant, raising fears of a potential radiological incident amid ongoing hostilities between Tehran, Israel, and the United States. Both Iran and Russia confirmed the strike on Wednesday, though they insisted that no nuclear material was released and that the facility remained secure, as per news agency Associated Press.

Bushehr, situated roughly 750 kilometers south of Tehran along the Persian Gulf, has long been at the center of Iran’s nuclear ambitions. (Reuters)

“A strike hit the area adjacent to the metrology service building located at the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant site, in close proximity to the operating power unit, Russia’s state-run Tass news agency quoted Rosatom CEO Alexey Likhachev as saying. He added, “There were no casualties among Rosatom State Corporation personnel. The radiation situation at the site is normal.”

Iran’s Atomic Energy Organisation issued a statement confirming, “no financial, technical, or human damage occurred and no part of the plant was harmed.”

Bushehr, situated roughly 750 kilometers (465 miles) south of Tehran along the Persian Gulf, has long been at the center of Iran’s nuclear ambitions. Initially planned in the 1970s under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the project aimed to establish 23 reactors and complete control over the nuclear fuel cycle—a move that worried the United States for its potential military implications.

Construction began with Germany’s Kraftwerk Union in 1975 but was disrupted by the 1979 Islamic Revolution and subsequent attacks by Iraq during its eight-year war with Iran.

Russia later revived the project, connecting the plant to Iran’s national grid in 2011. Today, it operates a pressurized-water reactor generating up to 1,000 megawatts of electricity, enough to power hundreds of thousands of homes, though it contributes only 1–2 per cent of the country’s energy.

Iran has been actively trying to expand Bushehr, with plans for two additional reactors, each adding another 1,000 megawatts. Satellite images from December show ongoing construction, with cranes visible across the site. The existing reactor runs on uranium supplied by Russia, enriched to 4.5%, suitable for civilian power generation.

A growing risk amid regional conflict

The strike on Bushehr comes as tensions in the region have intensified. While the specifics of the projectile remain unclear, experts note that shrapnel from intercepted missiles or air defense fire has caused collateral damage in southern Iran during the ongoing conflict. Bushehr is strategically significant not just for its nuclear facility but also for its nearby Iranian navy base and dual-use civilian-military airport, both protected by air defense systems.

Despite its centrality to Iran’s nuclear program, Bushehr remained untouched during the 12-day conflict in June between Israel and Iran. That war saw US airstrikes on other Iranian nuclear enrichment sites, severely damaging centrifuges and trapping highly enriched uranium underground. A direct strike on Bushehr, however, could have devastating consequences, potentially releasing radiation into the Persian Gulf—a critical water source for Gulf Arab states reliant on desalination plants.

With 480 Russian nationals still on-site and authorities preparing for possible evacuations, the world watches Bushehr closely. A nuclear incident here could have far-reaching consequences for regional stability, civilian safety, and global energy security.

(With inputs from AP)