Iran Warns of Radioactive Contamination Risk After Strikes on Bushehr Nuclear Plant
Foreign Minister Araghchi says continued attacks near active facility create ‘intolerable situation’ as IAEA confirms fourth incident in weeks
TEHRAN — April 5, 2026 — Iran has warned that repeated US-Israeli strikes near its Bushehr nuclear power plant risk radioactive contamination across the Gulf region, as the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) expressed “deep concern” over the fourth attack on the facility’s vicinity in recent weeks.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, in a formal letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, members of the Security Council, and IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi, said continued strikes on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure pose serious environmental and humanitarian risks .
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“These illegal attacks expose the entire region to a serious risk of radioactive contamination, which could have grave consequences for human health and the environment, and therefore must not be ignored,” Araghchi said in the letter, according to the IRNA news agency .
The warning comes after a projectile struck near the perimeter of the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant on Saturday morning, April 4, killing one security personnel member and damaging an auxiliary building, according to Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency . The plant’s main sections remained intact and operations were unaffected .
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Fourth Attack Since Conflict Began
Saturday’s strike marked the fourth attack on or near the Bushehr facility since the US-Israel-Iran conflict began on February 28 . Previous incidents include:
- March 1: Natanz nuclear facility hit in two separate attacks
- March 17: Building approximately 350 meters from Bushehr plant struck
- March 21: Several points within Natanz nuclear facility bombed
- March 24: Projectile hit vicinity of Bushehr nuclear power plant
- March 27: Bushehr plant attacked for third time; Khondab heavy water production plant and Shahid Ahmadi Roshan uranium processing site also bombed
In a post on social media platform X, Araghchi drew a direct comparison to international concerns over nuclear safety during the Ukraine war. “Remember the Western outrage about hostilities near Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine? Israel-U.S. have bombed our Bushehr plant four times now. Radioactive fallout will end life in GCC capitals, not Tehran,” he wrote .
The foreign minister emphasized that repeated attacks near an active nuclear facility create “an intolerable situation” that poses “a serious risk of radiological release” .
IAEA Expresses ‘Deep Concern,’ Confirms No Radiation Leak
IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi expressed “deep concern” about the reported incident, stressing that nuclear power plant sites and their surrounding areas “must never be attacked” .
In a statement shared on X, the UN’s nuclear watchdog confirmed it had been informed by Iran that a projectile struck close to the plant’s premises, marking the fourth such incident in recent weeks . The agency reported that one member of the site’s physical protection staff was killed by a projectile fragment and that a building on site was affected by shockwaves and debris .
Crucially, the IAEA confirmed that “no increase in radiation levels was reported” following the strike .
Grossi warned that even auxiliary buildings at nuclear sites may contain vital safety equipment, and reiterated his call for “maximum military restraint” to avoid the risk of a nuclear accident . He also stressed the paramount importance of adhering to the “seven pillars” for ensuring nuclear safety and security during a conflict .
Broader Attacks on Iranian Infrastructure
Saturday’s strikes were not limited to the Bushehr facility. At least five people were injured in US-Israeli attacks on several petrochemical companies in Iran’s southwestern Khuzestan province, according to the semi-official Tasnim news agency .
The Mahshahr petrochemical complex and the Bandar Imam petrochemical company were among the facilities targeted . Iranian Science Minister Hossein Simai Sarraf also said that more than 30 universities across Iran have been hit by strikes since war broke out .
Visiting Tehran’s Shahid Beheshti University—which was attacked on Friday—Sarraf said the US and Israel belonged to the “stone age.” “A civilised country, a civilised government never targets institutions of knowledge, laboratories or research centres,” he said .
Continued Military Exchanges
The attacks on nuclear and petrochemical infrastructure occurred as the conflict continued across multiple fronts. Iran’s IRGC Navy said it had hit an Israel-linked vessel with a drone, setting it on fire, with the attack targeting an Israeli-owned commercial ship in a port in Bahrain .
Meanwhile, US and Israeli forces continued search operations for a missing American crew member after an F-15 fighter jet was shot down on Friday, April 3. A pilot who was on board has been rescued, according to US media .
Russia has also begun evacuating its staff from the Bushehr plant. The head of Russia’s state nuclear corporation, Rosatom, Alexei Likhachev, said on Saturday that the evacuation of 198 people remaining at the plant had started that morning .
US Officials Suggest Nuclear Sites as Potential Targets
Araghchi’s letter also highlighted statements by US officials suggesting nuclear facilities could be targeted, including the Bushehr plant. “Now, high-ranking US officials, who have described international humanitarian law as ‘folly,’ have dared to declare that nuclear facilities are among their targets. The US Permanent Mission to the United Nations has publicly stated that attacks on the Bushehr nuclear power plant are ‘not out of the question,'” he said .
Current Situation
As of Sunday, April 5, the Bushehr nuclear power plant remains operational with no reported radiation leak. However, the repeated targeting of its vicinity has raised alarm among international nuclear safety monitors and Gulf states, which could face the consequences of any potential radioactive release.
The IAEA continues to monitor the situation closely, while Grossi has reiterated his call for all parties to exercise maximum military restraint to avoid what he described as an unacceptable risk of a nuclear accident with transboundary consequences .
Araghchi said Tehran seeks to secure the terms of a “conclusive and lasting” end to the US and Israeli war imposed on the country .
SOURCES / INPUTS
Anadolu Ajansı: Iran warns US-Israeli strikes on nuclear sites risk radioactive fallout across region
Khaleej Times: US-Israeli strike on Iran’s Bushehr nuclear plant kills 1, injures 5
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