04/06/2026April 6, 2026Iran: IAEA confirms strikes 75 meters from Bushehr nuclear power plant
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed on Monday that US-Israeli air strikes had impacted close to Iran‘s Bushehr nuclear power plant – including one just 75 meters (250 feet) from the site’s perimeter.
The United Nations‘ atomic watchdog said its conclusion was based on independent analysis of new satellite imagery and detailed knowledge of the plant.
According to Iranian state media, Saturday’s attack near the plant killed a member of security staff and damaged an ancillary building, although the plant itself was not damaged.
The head of Iran‘s nuclear energy authority has criticized the IAEA for its perceived failure to act on repeated strikes near the power plant.
In a letter to IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi, Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization chief Mohammad Eslami said the UN watchdog’s inaction “emboldens aggression” and warned that such attacks risked the release of radioactive material into the atmosphere.
Such an event could have “irreparable consequences” for people, the environment and neighboring countries, he said.
Eslami described the attacks as a clear breach of international law, and criticized what he called a “lack of decisive action” by Grossi and the IAEA, saying mere expressions of concern were insufficient.
The Bushehr facility, Iran’s only nuclear power plant, is located about 760 kilometers (470 miles) south of Tehran on the Persian Gulf, directly across from Kuwait and not far from Kharg Island, which US President Donald Trump has threatened to seize.
The plant’s Russian reactor has been generating electricity since 2011. The Russian state-owned nuclear company Rosatom is reportedly in the process of building a second reactor for the site.