Strike near Iran's Bushehr nuclear plant, no radiation spike: IAEA

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Saturday said it had not detected any spike in radiation levels after a projectile strike close to Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant. The global nuclear safety agency said Iran had informed it that a projectile had struck close to the plant on Saturday morning, and that a building at the site had been affected by shockwaves and fragments from the impact.

Iran also told the IAEA that one member of the plant’s physical protection staff was killed by a projectile fragment.

Iran’s semi-official Tasnim News Agency said the explosion damaged an auxiliary building at the Bushehr facility but did not affect its main operations or critical infrastructure.

The incident comes as the conflict involving the United States and Israel against Iran entered its 36th day, with hostilities continuing and diplomatic efforts showing little progress.

Why is Iran’s nuclear programme central to the conflict?

Iran’s growing nuclear capabilities are at the heart of the conflict, with both Israel and the United States firmly opposed to the Islamic regime possessing a nuclear device. The Barack Obama administration in the US had in 2015 reached a deal - the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action - with Iran that capped its enrichment capabilities and allowed IAEA inspections in return for reduced sanctions, but President Donald Trump scrapped that agreement in 2018, despite misgivings from US allies, shortly after he first stormed into the White House. Subsequently, Iran has ramped up its uranium enrichment levels, which is only marginally shy of weapons-grade enrichment. It has also barred IAEA inspectors from its nuclear facilities after the 2025 airstrikes by the US, which are spread across the country.

What are the latest military developments in the conflict?

Iran has claimed it shot down two US warplanes since Friday, an F-15E Strike Eagle over central Iran and an A-10 Thunderbolt II near the Strait of Hormuz. US and Israeli forces are reportedly conducting search and rescue operations for at least one missing crew member, while one pilot from the F-15 has been rescued.

In recent days, US and Israeli strikes have targeted Iranian infrastructure, including steel and energy facilities, as well as key transport links near Tehran. Iran, in turn, has launched missile attacks on Israel and struck energy infrastructure across the Gulf, with reported fires at a Kuwaiti oil refinery and damage to industrial sites in Israel.