Russia's Rosatom stops construction work at Iranian nuclear plant
Alexei Likhachov, CEO of Rosatom, the Russian state-owned nuclear energy corporation, has reported that construction at the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant in Iran has been fully suspended due to the fighting in the Middle East.
Source: Interfax, a Kremlin-aligned Russian news agency; The Moscow Times, an independent Amsterdam-based news outlet
Quote from Likhachov: "Work at the site in Iran has been stopped. We are monitoring the situation closely to ensure our employees remain within the settlement and spend as little time as possible at open construction areas."
Details: Likhachov said it is difficult to predict what will happen next while the fighting continues.
The Moscow Times has reported that 639 Russian experts remain at the plant. The company plans to withdraw up to 200 members of staff in stages; 94 people have already been evacuated.
Rosatom said it is in constant contact with staff at the Bushehr plant and the situation there remains under control, but contact with Iran's nuclear sector leadership has been lost.
On 28 February, the United States and Israel carried out a series of airstrikes on Iran.
Media reports indicate that the US and Israeli strikes also hit the Iranian city of Bushehr, home to the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant, where Rosatom is conducting construction work.
Background:
- On the morning of 28 February, Israel and the US launched strikes on Iran and Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon.
- Iran responded by striking targets in Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates and has blocked the Strait of Hormuz, the main artery for Middle East oil supplies.
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