A second projectile has reportedly hit the area of Iran's Bushehr nuclear power plant, prompting the IAEA to call for maximum restraint amid escalating regional conflict.
A second attack reported near Iran’s nuclear facilities in days
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has been informed by Iran that another projectile struck the area of the Bushehr nuclear power plant on March 24. According to the Iranian government, there were no injuries among personnel or damage to the plant, and the facility’s conditions are reported as normal. IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi reiterated the call for maximum restraint to avoid nuclear safety risks during the conflict. This would be the second attack near Iran’s nuclear facilities. A similar incident occurred on March 17, also without causing damage or injuries.
The United States, Israel, and Iran have targeted the region’s energy infrastructure over the past few weeks of conflict. Some attacks directed at Iran and Israel have hit areas near nuclear installations.
Trump has promised to “eliminate the nuclear threat posed by the Iranian regime,” even though there was no evidence of an imminent threat. In June 2025, the United States, in coordination with Israel, struck nuclear infrastructure across the country. Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization confirmed attacks on the Fordow, Isfahan, and Natanz sites.
Operation Midnight Hammer
As an analysis by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) explains, operation Midnight Hammer in June 2025 would have inflicted a significant blow to the Iranian nuclear program, leaving few high-value targets available for further attacks. The raids reportedly seriously damaged the enrichment facilities at Fordow and Natanz and destroyed metallurgical facilities in Isfahan. Since then, Iran has reportedly sought to reactivate these facilities, considered fundamental for the construction of an atomic weapon. The IAEA has stated that Iran’s uranium has reached an enrichment level of almost 60%. Thus, the country would be well on its way in the concentration process necessary to acquire a nuclear weapon.
What is happening
The United States and Israel have continued to bomb nuclear sites since launching their new offensive on February 28. The Israeli Ministry of Health believes at least 180 people were injured in Iranian missile attacks on March 21 on the city of Dimona, located in the south of the country and a few kilometers from the “Shimon Peres” Nuclear Research Center in the Negev desert. Although Israel has never openly admitted to possessing atomic weapons, it is speculated that it has a significant arsenal. The attack on Dimona caused concern because it is the first time Iranian missiles have managed to penetrate Israeli air defenses in an area surrounding a key nuclear site.
Iranian state television publicized the raids as a response to the attack on the Natanz nuclear enrichment site that occurred hours earlier on March 21. Previously, Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization had accused the United States and Israel of hitting the site, but specified that there had been no leakage of radioactive materials. These reciprocal retaliations inevitably mark a worsening of the conflict, now in its fourth week.
“Playing roulette with civilian lives”
“Any attack in the vicinity of a nuclear facility is like playing roulette with civilian lives. Nuclear risks are not theoretical: They are immediate and human. The United States, Israel, and Iran must cease all military action,” declared Melissa Parke, of ICAN (International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons).
The International Atomic Energy Agency has repeatedly reiterated that attacks against nuclear facilities should not occur, as they could lead to losses of radioactive material, with serious consequences even beyond the borders of the attacked state. The Red Cross also recalled that power plants and other similar installations enjoy specific protections under international humanitarian law.
In this context, the World Health Organization (WHO) has begun preparing for the worst-case scenario of a nuclear catastrophe, should the conflict further escalate. Hanan Balkhy, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, told Politico: “The worst-case scenario is a nuclear incident, and that is what worries us most. No matter how much you prepare, nothing can prevent the damage that would affect the region, and the whole world, if that were to happen. The consequences would last for decades.” Balkhy explained that, as a precaution, the WHO is preparing for a nuclear incident in the broadest sense, meaning both an attack on a nuclear facility and the use of an atomic weapon in the conflict: “We are thinking about it and we really hope it doesn’t happen.”
What are the risks of an attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities?
A direct hit on a nuclear facility would not cause an “atomic weapon” style explosion. Launching a missile at properly stored enriched uranium stockpiles would not cause a nuclear incident of the same magnitude as Chernobyl.
The exact consequences depend on which part of the site is hit and what radioactive materials are present. There is no ongoing nuclear reaction at Iran’s enrichment sites, and a bomb explosion would not trigger one. The concrete risk is a release of radioactive material which would inevitably disperse into the surrounding environment, causing potential long-term contamination.
Trump’s plan to seize Iran’s enriched uranium stockpiles
Trump also reportedly entertained the idea of a seizure of Iran’s enriched uranium stockpiles. The idea is complex to implement, to say the least, as it involves significant chemical, logistical, and tactical obstacles. According to Axios, the United States and Israel allegedly considered sending special forces into Iran to secure highly enriched uranium stockpiles once hostilities ended. Boots on the ground, for Trump, would involve the use of special forces but not a large invasion force. “It’s not Fallujah we are talking about here,” a U.S. official reportedly said.
Best estimates indicate that Iran possesses more than 400 kilograms of 60% enriched uranium, much of which is stored at the nuclear site near the city of Isfahan, which includes a network of deeply buried tunnels. As an expert explains in the NYT, removing that material without a cooperative government would be extremely difficult, and part of the uranium is stored in cylinders that could emit radioactive gas if damaged. Furthermore, for years, the Iranians have studied how to strengthen the defense of their depots against rapid extraction. It is not known how long it would take to extract the material, perhaps days or weeks. Certainly, it is not an operation that can be done quickly during wartime and without a collaborative government.
