Iran and Russia say a projectile struck the grounds of the Bushehr nuclear power plant, raising concerns about a potential radiological incident amid broader tensions involving Tehran, Israel and the United States. Both Moscow and Tehran have reported no release of nuclear material.
What officials have said
Rosatom, the Russian state nuclear firm that operates the plant, told Russian news agency Tass that “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.” Rosatom CEO Alexey Likhachev said there were no casualties among Rosatom personnel and that radiation levels were normal. The plant’s operating unit uses Russian-supplied, low-enriched uranium.
Iran’s Atomic Energy Organisation issued a statement saying there was no financial, technical or human damage and that no part of the plant had been harmed. The IAEA said Iran had informed it that a projectile struck the premises and that no damage or injuries were reported.
What is not independently verifiable
No independent experts have publicly assessed the site, and neither Iran nor Russia released images. It is unclear what type of projectile struck the complex. Moscow has previously made disputed claims about attacks on nuclear facilities in other conflicts, and Iran has used a mix of force and diplomacy to press neighbours and the US. The US Central Command did not immediately comment.
Context about the site and regional risks
Shrapnel from intercepted missiles and air-defence fire has damaged infrastructure across the region during the recent fighting. Bushehr sits on Iran’s southern coast about 750 km from Tehran and also hosts an Iranian naval base and a dual-use civilian-military airport with air defences.
History of Bushehr
Plans for nuclear power in Iran date back to the 1970s, when the Shah proposed as many as 23 reactors and sought control of the full fuel cycle. Construction at Bushehr began in 1975 by the German firm Kraftwerk Union but was halted by the 1979 Islamic Revolution; the site was repeatedly attacked by Iraq during the 1980s war. Russia later completed the project and the plant was connected to Iran’s grid in 2011. The operating pressurized-water reactor can generate roughly 1,000 megawatts—enough for hundreds of thousands of homes—but provides only about 1–2% of Iran’s electricity. The reactor uses Russian-supplied uranium enriched to roughly 4.5%.
Expansion and inspections
Iran has sought to expand Bushehr; a 2019 plan envisaged adding two additional 1,000-megawatt reactors, and satellite imagery in December showed construction activity with cranes at the sites. Bushehr was not struck during a 12-day flare-up in June between Israel and Iran, a period when the US also struck Iranian enrichment facilities elsewhere in the country, damaging centrifuges and likely moving much of Tehran’s highly enriched uranium stocks underground. Iran has since limited IAEA access at some enrichment sites.
Why a strike would matter
An attack on a nuclear power plant risks releasing radioactive material into the environment. Attacks on Ukrainian nuclear facilities since 2022 have underscored that danger. A significant release on Iran’s southern coast could contaminate the Persian Gulf, threatening desalination plants and water supplies on which Gulf Arab states heavily depend.
