• Iranian lawmaker Alireza Baghaei confirms the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant is still operational despite recent strikes near the facility, which he condemns as "very dangerous" attacks by the U.S. and Israel.
  • The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reports Iran has informed it of a new projectile strike in the Bushehr area, the third such incident in about ten days, raising acute safety and proliferation concerns.
  • Rosatom, Russia's state nuclear corporation and a partner in the Bushehr project, has suspended construction work on two planned additional units due to the ongoing air campaign, signaling delays in Iran's nuclear-capacity expansion.

Bushehr Plant Under Fire

Iranian lawmaker Alireza Baghaei's recent statement that the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant remains active comes amid reports that U.S. and Israeli strikes have hit or come very close to the facility, which he has condemned as "very dangerous" attacks that risk a radiological disaster. Iranian authorities and the IAEA say the operating reactor has not been damaged and that no radiation has been released, but the strikes mark the third reported incident near Bushehr in about ten days, raising acute safety and proliferation concerns.

According to people familiar with the matter, the IAEA has confirmed that Iran informed it of a new projectile strike in the area, with Tehran asserting that the reactor itself was not hit and operations remain normal. Baghaei, in public remarks, accused the United States and Israel of carrying out the attacks, warning that any direct hit on an operating nuclear reactor could cause a catastrophic radiological accident. Efforts to reach out to U.S. and Israeli officials for comment were unsuccessful, but sources indicate the strikes are part of a broader campaign targeting Iran's nuclear and missile infrastructure.

Regional and Market Implications

Repeated attacks near nuclear infrastructure in the Persian Gulf have heightened investor anxiety about the stability of energy infrastructure and the risk of disruption to oil and gas flows through the Strait of Hormuz. Analysts note that any escalation around nuclear sites amplifies energy-price volatility, because of the potential for both physical damage and tighter sanctions on Iran's energy exports. Rosatom has publicly expressed alarm that explosions can be heard "just kilometers away" from Bushehr, underscoring Moscow's interest in preserving this cooperative nuclear project despite its alliance with Iran.

IAEA Director‑General Rafael Grossi has reiterated "grave concern" about military activity near nuclear power plants, stressing that such attacks could trigger a major radiological incident if the reactor core or spent‑fuel pools are damaged. The IAEA is emphasizing that military operations near nuclear facilities violate long‑standing international safety norms, and is calling for "maximum military restraint" to prevent a nuclear‑accident‑type scenario. In the short term, if hostilities continue, the risk of collateral damage to Bushehr or other nuclear facilities will likely rise, potentially triggering emergency safety measures, temporary shutdowns, or evacuation plans for nearby communities.

Outlook and Analysis

In the long term, analysts expect that the repeated exposure of nuclear infrastructure to military strikes may spur states to push for new legally binding prohibitions on attacking civilian nuclear plants, alongside accelerated moves by Iran and others to diversify energy sources. The situation echoes wider debates about the targeting of nuclear facilities in conflicts such as the war in Ukraine, where Russian and Ukrainian forces have skirmished near nuclear‑power plants, prompting similar IAEA and UN warnings. Reports of U.S. and Israeli strikes against Iranian military infrastructure, including missile sites and energy facilities, indicate that the broader conflict may widen rather than de‑escalate, raising the stakes for all parties.

Correction: An earlier version of this article misstated the number of recent strikes near Bushehr; it is the third incident in about ten days, not two.