Iran has informed the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that a missile hit the Bushehr nuclear power plant on the evening of March 17. There are no reports of damage to the plant or any injuries to personnel.
The IAEA wrote about this on social media.
The Iranians built the Bushehr nuclear power plant in cooperation with “Rosatom”, and Russians work on it. “Rosatom” writes that this is the first strike on this plant since the beginning of the war — a shell hit the area near the meteorological service building at the plant.
After the outbreak of hostilities in the Middle East, the Russians reduced the number of personnel at the second and third reactors of the nuclear power plant (currently under construction) and evacuated 250 workers and their families. About 480 Russians now remain there.
War in the Middle East
On the morning of February 28, the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran. These attacks killed Iranʼs Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and almost the entire military leadership of the country — about 40 key high-ranking officials. A new ayatollah was elected on March 8, and he was Mojtaba Khamenei (the son of the deceased Ali Khamenei).
Iran, in response to the US and Israeli attacks, has begun shelling US bases in Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait and the UAE and firing missiles at Israel. Some Iranian drones and missiles have hit infrastructure and residential areas in Arab countries.
The conflict has brought tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow sea corridor between Iran and Oman that connects the Persian Gulf to the Indian Ocean, to a near standstill. About a fifth of the world’s oil exports pass through it — tens of millions of barrels a day. Oil, gas, and precious metals have skyrocketed in price.
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