IAEA says strikes near Iran nuclear power plant 'must stop'

A view of the Bushehr nuclear power plant is seen from the Persian Gulf in the south of Iran, on April 29, 2024. [AFP]

The chief of the UN nuclear watchdog on Monday warned attacks near Iran's Bushehr atomic power plant "pose a very real danger to nuclear safety and must stop".

The facility, located in the south of the country and equipped with a 1,000-megawatt reactor, has been targeted four times since the US-Israeli war on Iran began. The latest strike was reported by Iranian state media on Saturday.

Strikes near the operating plant "could cause a severe radiological accident with harmful consequences for people and the environment in Iran and beyond," said Rafael Grossi, director of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), on X.

The IAEA analysed satellite imagery of the site, confirming the impact of the latest strike, which did not damage the power plant.

Grossi added that one strike hit just 75 metres (246 feet) from the plant perimeter.

"A nuclear facility and surrounding areas should never be struck," he said.

Bushehr, built with help from Russia, is Iran's only operational nuclear power reactor, according to the IAEA.

Russian state media reported that 198 workers at the plant were evacuated just after the latest strike, with about 100 Russian staff remaining at the site.