Iran Warns Repeated Strikes On Bushehr Nuclear Plant Could Trigger Radioactive Disaster Across Gulf

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has issued a sharp warning after the US and Israel allegedly struck Iran's Bushehr nuclear power plant for the fourth time, saying the attack could trigger a radioactive disaster across West Asia.

In a strongly worded statement, Araghchi said the fallout from any serious incident at the coastal nuclear site would endanger Gulf nations far more than Tehran, raising the alarm over what he described as a dangerous escalation.

Araghchi says Gulf capitals face greater danger than Tehran

Taking to X, Abbas Araghchi directly highlighted the regional threat posed by repeated strikes on the Bushehr facility, pointing to its location on Iran's southern coast.

"Israel-U.S. have bombed our Bushehr plant four times now. Radioactive fallout will end life in GCC capitals, not Tehran," Araghchi wrote.

His remarks underlined a critical geographic concern surrounding the Bushehr plant. Since the facility is located in a port city along the Gulf, any radioactive leak or contamination event could potentially impact neighbouring Arab countries more quickly and severely than Iran's capital, Tehran, which lies much farther inland.

At the same time, Araghchi accused the West of double standards, drawing attention to international outrage over military activity around Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant while, according to him, remaining silent over attacks near Bushehr.

Iran raises the issue with the United Nations

Iran has also formally taken up the matter with the United Nations, warning that continued military activity near the active nuclear power plant could lead to a major humanitarian and environmental crisis.

In a letter shared on Telegram, Araghchi said the repeated strikes near the Bushehr facility posed a serious nuclear safety threat.

"The repeated attacks by the aggressors in the vicinity of the active Bushehr nuclear power plant are of great concern. They expose the entire region to a serious risk of radioactive contamination with grave human and environmental consequences," he wrote in his letter to the UN.

The communication marks Tehran's effort to internationalise the issue and frame the Bushehr strikes as not only an attack on Iran, but a wider regional security threat that could affect multiple countries in the Gulf.

Bushehr targeted for fourth time as tensions escalate

According to the details cited by Iran, the US and Israel targeted the Bushehr nuclear plant again on Saturday, marking the fourth reported strike on the site. The latest attack comes amid a broader escalation in which Iranian industrial and strategic infrastructure has increasingly come under fire.

The Bushehr strike is particularly sensitive because nuclear and petrochemical facilities carry far higher risks than conventional military targets. Any damage to support systems, containment infrastructure, or nearby safety equipment could sharply raise the danger of contamination, even if the reactor core itself is not directly hit.

As per the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the latest projectile attack in the vicinity of the Bushehr facility resulted in one death.

IAEA expresses deep concern over attack near nuclear facility

The International Atomic Energy Agency has reacted with concern to the reported incident, reiterating that nuclear sites and surrounding safety zones should never be subjected to military strikes.

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi expressed "deep concern about the reported incident and says [nuclear] sites or nearby areas must never be attacked, noting that auxiliary site buildings may contain vital safety equipment", the statement read following the attack on the Iranian power plant.

The warning from the UN nuclear watchdog adds to the seriousness of the situation, especially as military operations continue around sites that carry the potential for long-term radioactive and environmental damage.

With Bushehr now reportedly struck four times, Iran is attempting to rally international attention around what it says could become a cross-border nuclear emergency if attacks continue.