6 April 2026
Iran: IAEA confirms attack 75 meters away from Bushehr nuclear power plant
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed on Monday that US-Israeli airstrikes had hit near Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant – including a strike just 75 meters (250 feet) from the site’s perimeter.
The UN nuclear watchdog said its conclusion was based on independent analysis of new satellite imagery and detailed knowledge of the plant.
The attack Saturday near the plant killed a member of the security staff and damaged an auxiliary building, although the plant suffered no damage, according to Iranian state media.
The head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Authority has criticized the IAEA for alleged failure to act on repeated attacks near a power plant.
In a letter to the IAEA Director General rafael grossiMohammad Eslami, head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization, said the UN watchdog’s inaction “encourages aggression” and warned that such attacks risked spreading radioactive material into the atmosphere.
He said such an incident could have “irreparable consequences” for people, the environment and neighboring countries.
Eslami described the attacks as a clear violation of international law, and criticized the “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 about 760 kilometers (470 miles) south of Tehran on the Persian Gulf, just across Kuwait and not far from Kharg Island, which U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to seize.
The plant’s Russian reactor has been generating electricity since 2011. Russian state-owned nuclear company Rosatom is reportedly in the process of building a second reactor for the site.