The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, has expressed deep concern after a fourth projectile strike near Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant, according to a UN News report. Iranian officials informed the agency that a member of the site’s physical protection staff was killed by a projectile fragment and that a building on site was damaged by shockwaves. No increase in radiation levels was reported following the incident.
Grossi stressed that nuclear power plant sites and surrounding areas must never be attacked, warning that auxiliary buildings may house vital safety equipment. He reiterated his call for maximum military restraint, underlining the risk of a nuclear accident as Iran and other countries with operational reactors and research facilities face ongoing military escalation. The previous strike on Bushehr on 18 March destroyed a structure roughly 350 metres from the reactor without causing direct reactor damage or casualties.
Earlier this month, Grossi addressed the IAEA Board in Vienna, warning that multiple countries in the region with nuclear installations are now under military threat. He again emphasized the agency’s seven pillars for nuclear safety in armed conflict — covering the physical integrity of facilities, fully functional safety systems, free decision-making by operating staff, secure power supply, uninterrupted supply chains, effective radiation monitoring, and reliable communication with regulators. First introduced in March 2022, these principles were designed for exactly this kind of scenario: nuclear sites caught in active conflict zones.
