Russian nuclear officials warned Saturday that conditions at Iran’s Bushehr nuclear facility are becoming increasingly dangerous following another recent attack near the plant.
Alexei Likhachev, who leads Russia’s state nuclear corporation Rosatom, expressed alarm about the deteriorating security situation and said the strikes represent a serious risk to nuclear safety after the latest incident occurred near the facility.
According to the International Atomic Energy Agency on Friday, Iranian officials reported the most recent strike in the area surrounding Bushehr, marking the third such event within a 10-day period. The agency noted that no harm occurred to the active reactor and no radioactive materials were released.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry issued a statement Saturday demanding what it called “unequivocal and firm condemnation” of the attack near the nuclear site.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova expressed hope that IAEA leadership would take action, stating: “We hope that, by receiving timely and objective information directly from the Iranian authorities about what is happening on the ground, the Director General of the IAEA will be able to convey a simple message to the aggressors immediately and unequivocally: ‘It is time for you to stop!’”
Meanwhile, Likhachev confirmed that 163 additional Russian personnel from the Bushehr facility have been brought back to Russia as part of ongoing evacuation efforts, with plans to remove two more groups of workers in the next few days.
