IAEA Reports Projectile Struck Iran's Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant

The International Atomic Energy Agency said a projectile struck the premises of Iran's Bushehr nuclear power plant on Tuesday evening, marking the first reported direct hit on an operating Iranian nuclear facility since the start of the current war.

Iran informed the IAEA that there was no damage to the plant and no injuries among staff. IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi called for maximum restraint, warning that military action against nuclear sites could trigger a dangerous accident.

Bushehr, in southwestern Iran, is the country's only operating nuclear power reactor, connected to the national grid since 2011. The plant was originally started by German firms before Iran's 1979 revolution and completed with Russian assistance.

Reuters reported that Russia's Rosatom, which helped complete Bushehr and remains involved in Iranian nuclear projects, condemned the strike near the plant. Rosatom said radiation levels remained normal and urged de-escalation to prevent threats to nuclear safety.

The incident occurred during the third week of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, which has targeted military, energy and strategic sites across the region. Iran maintains its nuclear program is peaceful and for energy production, despite international sanctions following the U.S. withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal in 2018.

Even without reported casualties or structural damage, the strike has heightened concerns over the vulnerability of nuclear facilities in wartime, with the IAEA emphasizing the potential for broader disasters from conventional attacks near such sites.