BUSHEHR, Iran (MNTV) — A projectile fired amid ongoing US and Israeli attacks on Iran struck just 350 meters from the Bushehr nuclear power plant, destroying a nearby structure and raising fears of a potential nuclear disaster, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed Wednesday.
The incident occurred Tuesday evening near the facility, which houses an operational nuclear reactor, bringing military action dangerously close to sensitive nuclear infrastructure.
IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said the reactor itself was not damaged and no injuries were reported but warned that any strike at or near a nuclear facility constitutes a serious breach of international safety standards during armed conflict.
The agency did not provide details on the type of projectile used.
Bushehr, located along Iran’s Persian Gulf coast roughly 480 miles south of Tehran, includes one functioning reactor and two additional Russian-designed units under construction.
Russia’s state nuclear corporation Rosatom said the strike took place earlier Tuesday near the plant’s meteorological service area, in close proximity to an operating power unit. The agency said it had already reduced personnel at the site as a precaution.
According to Rosatom, around 250 workers and their families have been evacuated from Iran, with further evacuations underway. Approximately 480 personnel remain at the facility under increasingly volatile conditions.
Rosatom chief Alexei Likhachev condemned the strike and called for de-escalation, warning that continued attacks near nuclear facilities pose a direct threat to civilian safety.
The incident comes amid an escalating conflict that began on February 28, when the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran, claiming to target military infrastructure and leadership. Iran has since retaliated, with hostilities continuing across the region.
Grossi has repeatedly urged a return to diplomacy, warning that continued military escalation risks undermining nuclear safety and the global non-proliferation framework.
Bushehr’s first reactor became operational in 2011 and has a capacity of 915 megawatts. Two additional VVER-1000 units are under construction as Iran seeks to expand its nuclear energy capacity in the coming decades.
The near-miss strike has intensified concerns among observers that ongoing US and Israeli attacks could trigger a catastrophic nuclear incident in the region.