Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on social media that any further strikes on the Bushehr nuclear power plant could trigger radioactive fallout with serious consequences for Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) capitals, not Tehran.
He also criticized Western governments for what he described as silence over repeated attacks on the facility, located about 750 kilometers south of the Iranian capital.
The plant, which produces around 1,000 megawatts of electricity, operates using low-enriched uranium supplied by Russia and is supported by Russian technicians, AP reports.
Aragchchi asked: “Do you remember the Western outrage over the hostile actions near the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant in Ukraine?”
“Israel-US has bombed our Bushehr power plant four times already. Radioactive fallout will end life in GCC capitals, not Tehran. Attacks on our petrochemical products also express real targets,” he said.
A missile from a US-Israeli strike landed near Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant on Saturday, killing one person, state media reported, while the country’s foreign minister warned of further attacks on the facility.
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It was the fourth strike in the area since the conflict with the United States and Israel began on February 28, according to the official IRNA news agency.
The plant, located on the southern coast of the Iranian Gulf, was not damaged in the incident, although a security guard was killed on the spot.
“Following the US-Zionist criminal attacks this Saturday morning, around 8:30 AM, a projectile hit the area near the Bushehr nuclear power plant in the southwest,” IRNA said.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said there was no increase in radiation levels after the attack.
According to the agency’s post on X, agency chief Rafael Grossi called for “maximum military restraint to avoid the risk of a nuclear accident.”
The UN Security Council will vote on a draft resolution demanding the reopening of Hormuz
The GCC Secretary General on Thursday urged the UN Security Council to approve the use of force to protect the Strait of Hormuz from Iranian attacks.
Iran has tightened controls on a vital shipping route in response to US-Israeli strikes that have sparked a months-long standoff, raised concerns about fuel supplies and put pressure on the global economy.
Jassem al-Budaiwi, head of the GCC, said: “Iran has closed the Strait of Hormuz, preventing commercial vessels and oil tankers from passing through and imposing conditions on some to pass through the strait.
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He spoke in New York during the first meeting of the Security Council focused on cooperation with the GCC, which includes Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait and Oman.
“We call on the Security Council to assume its full responsibility and take all necessary measures to protect sea lanes and ensure the safe continuation of international shipping,” al-Budaiwi said.
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Meanwhile, the UN Security Council is scheduled to vote on Saturday on a draft resolution proposed by Bahrain that calls for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, despite opposition from permanent members China and Russia to earlier versions that included provisions for the use of force, a PTI report said.
The revised draft affirms that the Strait of Hormuz must remain open to all transit and states that no country has the authority to block or control it.
It also authorizes states to take “strictly defensive measures” to ensure safe passage and prevent any action likely to disrupt international shipping on the waterway.
