Geneva, April 5 — World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned Sunday that recent incidents near Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant raise the risk of a nuclear accident with long-lasting health consequences. He joined the International Atomic Energy Agency in urging immediate de-escalation and stressed that “Peace is the best medicine.”
The IAEA reported that Iran informed the agency a projectile struck close to the Bushehr nuclear power plant earlier Sunday. It said this was the fourth such incident in recent weeks. Iranian authorities reported one member of the site’s physical protection staff was killed after being hit by a projectile fragment and that an auxiliary building sustained damage from shockwaves and fragments. The IAEA said it detected no increase in radiation levels.
IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said he was deeply concerned, emphasizing that nuclear facilities and surrounding areas must never be targeted. He warned that auxiliary structures can contain essential safety systems and called for maximum military restraint. Grossi reiterated the agency’s guidance on seven key pillars for maintaining nuclear safety and security during armed conflict.
Iranian state news agency Tasnim reported the projectile struck near the plant perimeter on Saturday morning, killing one security employee and damaging an auxiliary building. Tasnim said the plant’s main systems and power production were not affected.
Tedros and the IAEA called for urgent steps to prevent further incidents and to protect nuclear staff, infrastructure and nearby communities from the potentially catastrophic health and environmental impacts of a nuclear event.
(This report is based on information from the IAEA and Iranian state media and was distributed via a syndicated feed.)
