IAEA warns strike on Bushehr plant could cause radioactive contamination

A strike on Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant could result in far greater radioactive contamination than a nuclear explosion, though the reactor itself is incapable of exploding, according to Mikhail Chudakov, Deputy Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Speaking to RIA Novosti on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Chudakov stated that no nuclear power plant in the world is protected against warfare. He explained that modern missiles could easily penetrate and damage containment structures, making nuclear power facilities highly vulnerable in the event of a military strike, Caliber.Az quotes.

Chudakov emphasised that targeting reactors with missiles would not trigger a nuclear explosion, as the design of nuclear power plants inherently rules out incidents involving reactivity. The last such incident occurred during the Chernobyl disaster, he noted. However, an attack could breach the plant’s containment and lead to widespread radioactive contamination—potentially even more severe than that caused by a nuclear explosion.

He further clarified that the containment structure of nuclear power plants is primarily designed to safeguard against internal incidents and accidents, such as preventing radioactive leaks in the event of fuel melting or an operational malfunction. According to Chudakov, the main weakness of nuclear power remains its lack of protection against acts of war.

When asked specifically about the protection of Iran’s Bushehr plant, Chudakov recalled that the facility had already been attacked during the Iran-Iraq war. He said he personally witnessed a large hole in the plant’s containment structure caused by an Iraqi missile strike at that time. Fortunately, the reactor had not yet been fueled, as construction by the original German contractor had been halted. 

By Sabina Mammadli