UN nuclear oversight body raises alarms as Iran details fourth strike on power facility

Iranian authorities reported a fourth assault on the Bushehr nuclear power plant since the current conflict began, with one staff member killed in the incident. The attack, which the Atomic Energy Organisation attributed to the United States and Israel, has not yet been confirmed by either nation. This facility, the sole operational nuclear plant in Iran, was constructed with assistance from Russia.

The International Atomic Energy Agency, the UN’s nuclear monitoring body, acknowledged the strike and voiced “profound apprehension” over the event. In a statement shared on X, it noted no rise in radiation levels and urged “complete military caution” to prevent a nuclear incident. “Nuclear plant zones and surrounding regions must never be struck,” the agency emphasized.

On 27 March, former US President Donald Trump announced a temporary halt to energy facility attacks, granting Iran 10 days to negotiate a deal. However, he later warned on Truth Social that “catastrophe will descend” if the country failed to meet this deadline or reopen the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours. Meanwhile, Iran has persisted in launching missiles at Gulf nations, Iraq, and Israel, with intercepted debris causing localized damage.

Following the downing of an F-15 jet on Friday, both Iranian and US forces are searching for a missing American crew. A pilot was rescued, according to US media. The Iranian government stated that the plant’s primary structures remained intact and operations were “unimpeded.” Moscow has evacuated a significant number of personnel from the site, with Rosatom’s head, Alexei Likhachev, confirming the evacuation of 198 individuals that morning.

“Recall the global uproar over hostilities near Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant? Israel and the US have now struck our Bushehr facility four times,” warned Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. He cautioned that a major accident could “halt life” in Gulf Arab states allied with the US.

Iranian officials also mentioned that the Mahshahr petrochemical complex and Bandar Imam company in the southwest were targeted, injuring five people. Science Minister Hossein Simai Sarraf highlighted that over 30 universities had been hit by strikes since the war started. Visiting Shahid Beheshti University, damaged in the latest attack, he criticized the US and Israel for their actions: “A developed nation and government would never target educational institutions, labs, or research centers,” he asserted.