IAEA Chief Warns Attack Near Iranian Nuclear Plant Dangerous and Must Stop

Iranian Busher nuclear power plant near defense missile. (Wikimedia Commons/Fars Media Corporation)

JAKARTA - The head of the UN nuclear watchdog on Monday warned that attacks near the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant in Iran "pose a real danger to nuclear safety and must be stopped."

The facility, which is located in southern Iran and is equipped with a 1,000 megawatt reactor, has been targeted four times since the US-Israeli war in Iran began.

The latest attack on the facility was reported by Iranian state media on Saturday.

"Attacks near the operating plant can cause severe radiological accidents with dangerous consequences for humans and the environment in Iran and beyond," tweeted the Director of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi on the social media X, as reported by Al Arabiya from AFP (6/4).

The IAEA analyzed satellite images of the site, confirming the impact of the latest attack, which did not damage the power plant.

Grossi also revealed that one of the attacks was only 75 meters (246 feet) from the perimeter of the plant.

"Nuclear facilities and their surrounding areas must never be attacked," Grossi said.

The Bushehr nuclear power plant, which was built with Russian assistance, is Iran's only operating nuclear reactor, according to the IAEA.

Russian state media reported that 198 workers at the plant were evacuated immediately after the latest strike, with around 100 Russian staff remaining at the site.