Ex-UN nuclear inspector flags potential Iranian involvement in Bushehr strike

A shell that landed near Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant likely originated from the north, not the Persian Gulf, said David Albright, former UN nuclear inspector and founder and President of the non-profit Institute for Science and International Security.

Albright made the statement, citing satellite imagery analyzed by his institute. The assessment suggests that the strike on the facility was carried out by Iranian forces rather than an external actor, Caliber.Az reports.

NEW from the @TheGoodISIS Team, with an update: High resolution Airbus imagery taken on March 18 confirms a projectile impact 350 m away from the Bushehr power reactor. See before image for comparison.

The debris pattern is fan shaped away from an apparent crater towards the… pic.twitter.com/WjdK4Asins

— David Albright (@DAVIDHALBRIGHT1) March 19, 2026

“High resolution Airbus imagery taken on March 18 confirms a projectile impact 350 m away from the Bushehr power reactor. See before image for comparison.

The debris pattern is fan shaped away from an apparent crater towards the south, which is more suggestive of an incoming projectile from the north and not from the Gulf. This adds Iran to the suspect list, along with Israel and the United States, although an Iranian projectile would certainly have been inadvertent.

We join IAEA DG Grossi in condemning any attacks in the vicinity of the reactor or of any electrical lines coming into the plant that may be needed to provide power to run reactor emergency systems.

Israel and the United States must make sure that the communication channels with Russia remain open and functioning, and all US and Israeli operational personnel are fully aware of the risks,” the expert said.

By Vafa Guliyeva