Iran says projectile hit near nuclear power plant where Russian staff are stationed
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An "enemy projectile" struck the site of Iran's Bushehr nuclear power plant, Iran's state-affiliated media reported on March 17, amid Tehran's ongoing war with the U.S. and Israel.
No damage or casualties were reported, Tasnim News Agency wrote, citing the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran.
Situated on the shores of the Persian Gulf, the Bushehr plant is Iran's sole operational nuclear power station. Employees of Russia's Rosatom agency are stationed there as part of an agreement to build additional reactors.
Rosatom CEO Alexey Likhachev condemned the incident as a "flagrant disregard for key rules and principles of international security." No Rosatom personnel were injured, and the radiation levels are stable, he noted.
The hit reportedly occurred on March 17 around 7 p.m. local time. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said it had been informed about the incident by Iranian authorities.
"Director General Rafael Grossi reiterates call for maximum restraint during the conflict to prevent risk of a nuclear accident," the agency said on X.
Rosatom has launched an evacuation of its personnel from the facility amid the ongoing hostilities, and the construction of the two additional reactors has been suspended.
About 480 Russian specialists are still on site, as the third wave of evacuations is being prepared, Likhachev said.
Russia has fostered close security and economic ties with Iran, cemented in a strategic partnership agreement signed in 2025. Moscow has previously denounced U.S.-Israeli strikes against Iran, initiated on Feb. 28, as an "unprovoked act of armed aggression."
The conflict is ongoing as Tehran launched missiles and drones against U.S. and Israeli assets across the region and effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, causing a surge in global oil and gas prices.
In turn, Iran has deepened military cooperation with Russia since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, supplying Shahed-type attack drones that Russian forces later adapted into their own Geran-series systems for sustained strikes on Ukrainian cities and critical infrastructure.
Russia has repeatedly attacked energy infrastructure connected to Ukrainian nuclear power plants and endangered safety at the occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant by using the area as a military base and neglecting basic maintenance requirements.
