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Russia Warns Israeli Attack on Bushehr Could Trigger 'Chernobyl-Style' Disaster

Rosatom warns that an assault on Iran’s sole nuclear power station risks catastrophic fallout with core Russian teams still at the plant.

A satellite image shows new reactors under construction at the Bushehr site in Iran in this handout image dated January 1, 2025. Maxar Technologies/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo

Overview

  • An Israeli military spokesperson initially claimed a strike on the Bushehr plant but a later official retracted the statement and declined to confirm the site was hit.
  • Rosatom chief Alexei Likhachev said a strike on the operational reactor could unleash a disaster comparable to the 1986 Chernobyl accident.
  • Moscow has evacuated some specialists from Bushehr while maintaining hundreds of core workers at the facility and stands ready to conduct a rapid full evacuation.
  • Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova cautioned Washington against military intervention, warning of unpredictable negative consequences.
  • President Putin said Israel assured him that Russian personnel at Bushehr would remain safe and expressed hope for a diplomatic resolution.