A projectile struck the grounds of Iran’s Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant on Tuesday, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said on Wednesday, reporting no damage to the facility and no injuries to staff. The agency said its information came from Tehran and that the plant’s operations were not affected.
“The IAEA has been informed by Iran that another projectile hit the premises of the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant today. According to Iran, there was no damage to the NPP itself nor injuries to staff, and the condition of the plant is normal,” the agency posted on X.
IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi repeated his plea for “maximum restraint,” warning that military activity near nuclear installations carries grave risks. The Bushehr incident came days after a separate strike at Iran’s Natanz enrichment site, where the IAEA also reported no rise in off-site radiation levels.
The consecutive strikes on sensitive nuclear sites have raised fears of a potential safety crisis if hostilities escalate. Experts note that even without immediate damage, strikes close to nuclear facilities can jeopardize critical systems and heighten the risk of radiological release, environmental contamination and long-term health impacts.
Bushehr, Iran’s only operational nuclear power plant, sits on the country’s southern coast and is key to its civilian energy programme. The IAEA has repeatedly cautioned that attacks on nuclear infrastructure—even those that do not produce immediate radiation leaks—could trigger chain reactions leading to a nuclear accident, and has urged all parties to avoid actions endangering nuclear safety.
