Russia ready to evacuate staff from Iran’s Bushehr nuclear plant amid rising tensions
Moscow warns attack on facility could trigger catastrophe as US pressure mounts
Dubai: Russia on Thursday said it is prepared to evacuate its personnel from Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant if necessary, reflecting growing concern over rising tensions between Tehran and Washington, according to state news agency TASS and Russian officials.
Alexei Likhachev, head of Russia’s state nuclear corporation Rosatom, was quoted saying that Moscow hopes all parties will respect the “inviolability” of the Bushehr site — Iran’s only operating nuclear facility — but that Russia is coordinating with its Foreign Affairs and Defence ministries to ensure staff safety, including possible evacuation measures.
“We sincerely hope that the parties to the conflict will uphold their commitments regarding the inviolability of this territory (Bushehr),” Likhachev said, adding that Russia was “keeping our finger on the pulse” of developments, Reuters reported.
Iran’s Bushehr nuclear plant: Key facts
Iran’s only operating nuclear power plant
Built and supported by Russia
Hundreds of Russian specialists work at the site
Additional reactors under construction
Was not hit in last year’s US strikes
Russia warns any attack could cause a Chernobyl-like disaster
Operates under international safeguards
Why Bushehr matters
Supplies Iran with civilian nuclear power
An attack could trigger a major nuclear accident
Located near the Arabian Gulf, risking regional contamination
Foreign workers at the site raise international stakes
Damage could turn a regional crisis into a global emergency
Hundreds of Russian specialists work at Bushehr, a plant constructed with Russian assistance and now undergoing expansion with two additional reactors under construction.
The announcement comes amid an intensifying standoff between Tehran and Washington, with US President Donald Trump warning that time is running out for a deal on Iran’s nuclear programme and threatening harsher consequences if negotiations falter.
Diplomatic efforts
Russia’s preparedness to evacuate staff underscores international unease over the security of nuclear facilities amid the deteriorating diplomatic climate.
In past comments, Russian officials have warned that any attack on Bushehr could trigger a disaster comparable to the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear catastrophe — concerns echoed by independent analysts given the potential for severe environmental and radiological consequences near a major population centre and critical Gulf infrastructure.
Iran continues to deny seeking nuclear weapons and insists its nuclear programme is for peaceful energy purposes. Russia has repeatedly reiterated its support for Tehran’s right to use nuclear energy for civilian needs while urging against the use of force.
The Bushehr plant has been under Russian oversight since its commissioning, with Moscow supplying fuel and managing spent fuel removal — an arrangement designed to limit proliferation risks under strict International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards.
Russia’s statement also reflects broader diplomatic efforts to de-escalate tensions and maintain stability around Iran’s nuclear infrastructure as international pressure mounts over Tehran’s policies and regional security challenges.
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