Russia’s state nuclear corporation Rosatom has said it will continue its work in Iran despite the ongoing conflict in the region, maintaining its commitment to nuclear energy projects at the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant.
Rosatom chief Alexei Likhachev said the company considers the Bushehr project a priority and will keep personnel at the site even as security concerns rise due to hostilities in the Middle East.
The company is currently involved in building two additional reactors at the Bushehr facility, Iran’s only operational nuclear power plant. The project forms part of a long standing nuclear cooperation agreement between Moscow and Tehran.
However, Rosatom confirmed that construction work on the new units has been temporarily halted because of the security situation and nearby military activity. Explosions have reportedly been heard several kilometres from the plant during recent strikes linked to the conflict.
Despite the suspension of construction, Likhachev said Russian specialists will remain in Iran to maintain critical equipment and ensure the safety of the facility. He stressed that the company has a responsibility to both its employees and the Iranian government to safeguard the nuclear plant.
Rosatom has also begun evacuating some personnel and their families as a precaution. More than 150 workers have recently been moved out of Iran, though around 450 Russian specialists remain at the Bushehr site to continue essential operations.
Officials say the evacuations are aimed at reducing risks to non essential staff while keeping enough engineers on site to operate and secure the facility.
The Bushehr plant, built with Russian assistance and connected to Iran’s national electricity grid in 2011, remains a central element of Iran’s civilian nuclear energy programme. Moscow and Tehran have continued to cooperate on expanding the plant despite international tensions and sanctions.
Rosatom has warned that any attack on nuclear facilities could pose serious environmental risks, including the potential release of radioactive material, and has called for the protection of such installations during military conflicts.
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