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VIENNA / BUSHEHR — Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), issued a grave warning on Friday, March 27, 2026, stating that any further military incidents at Iran’s Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant could trigger a “major radiological accident” with consequences felt “inside Iran and beyond.”
The warning follows reports of a second projectile strike near the facility in less than ten days, as the U.S.-Israeli coalition intensifies its “Operation Epic Fury” against Iranian military and infrastructure targets.
The “Reddest Line”: Strikes Near the Reactor
While the IAEA confirmed that the reactor itself remains undamaged, the proximity of recent strikes has pushed the facility to the brink of a safety catastrophe.
- The March 24 Strike: Iranian authorities informed the IAEA that a projectile struck the premises of the Bushehr plant at approximately 9:08 PM IRST on Tuesday. While no injuries or technical damage to the reactor were reported, the “near-miss” has sparked international panic.
- The “Seven Pillars” Violation: Grossi emphasized that any attack near an operational nuclear site violates the “seven indispensable pillars” of nuclear safety. “Bushehr is an operating plant with a large amount of nuclear material,” Grossi warned. “Damage to the facility could result in a major radiological accident affecting a large area.”
- Previous Incident: On March 17, a structure just 350 meters from the reactor was destroyed by a projectile, which Rosatom (the Russian agency managing the site) condemned as “reckless and irresponsible.”
Evacuations and “Skeleton” Crews
The escalating risk has forced Rosatom to begin a mass withdrawal of its technical specialists, potentially leaving the plant under-staffed during a period of extreme operational stress.
| Date | Personnel Action | Current Status |
| March 2 | 150 employees withdrawn. | Initial precautionary measure. |
| March 18 | 250 employees and families evacuated. | Following the first near-miss strike. |
| March 25 | 163 additional staff left for the Armenian border. | Response to the March 24 strike. |
| Current | ~300 staff remain (down from over 1,000). | “Skeleton crew” overseeing critical equipment. |
The Global “Contamination” Risk
Experts warn that a breach at Bushehr would not be a localized event. Due to its location on the Persian Gulf coast, a radiation leak would pose an immediate existential threat to neighboring countries.
- Water Security: Desalination plants in the UAE, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia—which provide up to 90% of their drinking water—would be at risk of radioactive contamination, potentially leaving millions without water.
- Atmospheric Spread: Depending on seasonal winds, a plume could carry radioactive particles across the Gulf to the Arabian Peninsula or inland toward Central Asia.
- Hormuz Paralysis: A “radiological exclusion zone” around the plant would effectively shut down the world’s most vital energy artery, the Strait of Hormuz, indefinitely.
What’s Next?
Grossi’s warning serves as a final plea for “maximum restraint” as the Friday sunrise deadline passes. With President Trump stating he is “not eager” for a deal and the 82nd Airborne preparing for a potential landing on Kharg Island—just 50 miles from the nuclear plant—the risk of an accidental strike on the reactor is at an all-time high.
