Mystery projectile hits Iran nuclear power complex, highlighting war risks
IAEA chief renews calls for restraint as incident raises specter of a radiological disaster
The UN nuclear watchdog said on Wednesday that Iranian authorities had reported projectile impact on the grounds of the country’s only operational nuclear power plant that caused no damage.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) “has been informed by Iran that a projectile hit the premises of the Bushehr NPP on Tuesday evening”, the Vienna-based agency posted on social media using an acronym for nuclear power plant. “No damage to the plant or injuries to staff reported”.
Agency head Rafael Grossi “reiterates his call for restraint during the conflict to avoid any risk of a nuclear accident”, the statement said.
Bushehr is Iran’s only nuclear power station and is located around 760km south of Tehran on the coast of the Persian Gulf. Its Russian-designed reactor has been supplying electricity since 2011.
Iran’s wider nuclear programme remains one of the reasons US President Donald Trump points to for starting the war alongside Israel against Iran on February 28. Iran has always denied any ambition to develop nuclear weapons, insisting that its activities were entirely peaceful.