What is the threat of Israeli attacks on Iran at the Bushehr nuclear power plant? What you need to know

The Russian Foreign Ministry warned that Israel's actions in Iran pose high risks to the Bushehr nuclear power plant. This is the first nuclear power plant in the Middle East, and it is being built by the Russian side. So far, the facility has not been the target of Israeli attacks, but they cannot be ruled out. What could be the threat of hitting a nuclear power plant — in the Izvestia material.

Targets of Israeli attacks

• Israel continues to launch attacks on Iran's territory in order to defeat the country's nuclear program. As a result, at least two of the three uranium enrichment plants operating in the country have failed. According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the onshore pilot plant in Natanz was destroyed. In addition, the underground complex was probably also affected, as the Israeli attack disabled the power supply system, on which the operation of 15,000 centrifuges installed there depends.

Strike of the East: Israel does not set a framework for an operation in Iran

What will be the further reaction of Tehran and is it possible to return to diplomacy?

• The head of the IAEA, Rafael Grossi, noted that centrifuges can be seriously damaged or even destroyed. According to him, the nuclear complex in Isfahan was also damaged. Four facilities were damaged there, including a chemical laboratory and a uranium processing plant. At the same time, the underground platform was not damaged. It is there that most of Iran's highly enriched uranium reserves are stored.

• About the Fordo uranium enrichment plant, which is called the most protected nuclear facility in Iran, the head of the IAEA said that if there is damage, it is minor. At the same time, the Bushehr NPP was not affected at all. However, according to Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, Israeli strikes on Iran's nuclear infrastructure pose a threat to it.

Consequences of the nuclear power plant strike

• The Bushehr NPP was built according to Russian safety standards. It is quite reliably protected from ballistics. However, no object in the world can withstand a targeted attack, no matter how sturdy it is. Direct hits on a nuclear power plant or on an important infrastructure for it can disrupt the operation of a number of important systems and lead to a situation like that at Fukushima or Chernobyl.

• It is worth considering that Bushehr not only generates electricity, but also consumes it itself to ensure the operation of the cooling system. Nuclear reactors need to be constantly cooled, otherwise an emergency situation will arise — the plant will overheat, the reactor will melt down and a nuclear catastrophe with possible radiation emissions will occur. The defeat of the cooling system in the event of an Israeli attack is a fairly realistic scenario.

• In the current situation, reactors at Bushehr may be suspended in whole or in part, but this will only reduce the risk of a nuclear disaster. The cooling of power units lasts for several months, up to six months. All this time, hitting the station will have serious consequences for the entire region.

The history of nuclear power plants in Iran

• The first nuclear power plant in Iran was built in 1974 by the German company Kraftwerk Union. However, after the Islamic Revolution, all work on the site was stopped. In 1980, the contractor terminated the contract and refused to complete the construction of the station — then the German government joined the American embargo on the supply of equipment to Iran.

• The project was transferred to Russia: in 1992, the Russian Federation and the Islamic Republic signed an agreement on the construction of a nuclear power plant. In fact, the work began in 1998. In 2001, the main equipment began to be imported there. It was tested in 2009-2010. At the same time, the steel protective shell was tested.

In the summer of 2010, under the supervision of IAEA inspectors, nuclear fuel was delivered to the reactor department — the start-up of the Bushehr NPP began. A year later, the first power unit was connected to the national energy system of Iran. The construction of the second stage of the NPP with two new nuclear power units is currently underway.

When writing the material, Izvestia interviewed:

• Vladimir Demidov, an independent expert on the resources and energy market;
• Igor Yushkov, an expert at the Financial University and a leading analyst at the National Energy Security Fund.