UN watchdog voices ‘deep concern’ as Iran reports new attacks on nuclear plant
UN Nuclear Monitor Expresses ‘Significant Alarm’ Over Fourth Assault on Iran’s Bushehr Facility
Iranian authorities announced the fourth attack on the country’s Bushehr nuclear power plant this week, as the conflict intensifies. The strike, which claimed one life, was attributed to the US and Israel, though neither has officially confirmed involvement. The plant, the sole operational nuclear site in Iran, was constructed with Russian assistance.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the UN’s nuclear oversight body, has been informed of the incident and conveyed “deep concern” over the assault. In a statement shared on X, the agency noted that radiation levels remained stable. It emphasized the necessity of military restraint around nuclear sites to prevent potential disasters, urging that such locations “must never be targeted.”
US Pause and Threats Amid Escalating Strikes
On 27 March, former US President Donald Trump declared a 10-day pause on attacks on energy infrastructure, offering Iran a chance to “make a deal.” However, he later warned on Truth Social that “all Hell will reign down on them” should Iran fail to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or secure a deal within 48 hours. Meanwhile, Iran has persisted in launching missile strikes against Gulf nations, Iraq, and Israel, with debris from intercepted missiles causing damage.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned that a major accident at the plant could “end life” in Gulf Arab states aligned with the US. He referenced past Western reactions to hostilities near the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine, stating: “Israel-U.S. have bombed our Bushehr plant four times now.”
Damage Beyond the Plant
Other strikes have targeted Iran’s Mahshahr petrochemical complex and Bandar Imam company in the southwest, injuring five individuals. Iranian Science Minister Hossein Simai Sarraf highlighted the impact on educational institutions, noting that over 30 universities have been hit since the war began. Visiting Shahid Beheshti University, which was attacked on Friday, he criticized the US and Israel, calling them “stone age” nations. “A civilised country, a civilised government never targets institutions of knowledge, laboratories or research centres,” he remarked in a social media post.
Russia has evacuated many staff from Bushehr, with the head of Rosatom, Alexei Likhachev, confirming that the evacuation of 198 remaining personnel commenced on Saturday. The incident also renewed efforts to locate an American crew member after an F-15 fighter jet was downed on Friday, with a pilot rescued by US media reports.
