Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on March 3, 2026
2 min readLast updated: April 2, 2026
Add as preferred source on GoogleRosatom chief Alexey Likhachev warned on March 3, 2026, that Iran’s Bushehr nuclear plant faces escalating risks amid nearby explosions, prompting evacuation of nearly 100 non‑essential personnel, with plans for further pulls when conditions allow. The plant, while not targeted, remains under threat
MOSCOW, March 3 (Reuters) - Russia's state nuclear corporation, Rosatom, has halted construction work at new units of Iran's nuclear power plant in the port city of Bushehr because of the U.S.-Israeli air assault on Iran, its chief Alexei Likhachev said on Tuesday.
Likhachev had earlier warned of the threat posed by strikes near Iranian nuclear facilities, and said explosions could be heard "just kilometres away" from the plant, although the facility itself was not being targeted.
Work has been stopped at the construction sites of the second and third units of the plant, he told journalists.
"It is difficult to predict the further course of events, given the ongoing military operations against Iran, but our people will remain there in any case, and this facility will be among our priorities," he said.
Likhachev said there was no telephone or electronic communication with the leadership of the Iranian nuclear industry, but contact with colleagues at the construction site remained.
Some 639 Russian personnel remain in Iran, and some who were already in the capital Tehran are leaving, Likhachev said.
Nearly 100 workers and their families were evacuated on Saturday, when U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran began, and Likhachev said evacuations of staff would continue during breaks in air strikes.
(Reporting by Anastasia Lyrchikova, Writing by Lucy Papachristou; Editing by Kevin liffey)
The Bushehr nuclear plant is under threat due to the escalating conflict, with explosions reported near the vicinity but not directly targeting the facility.
The head of Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom raised concerns about the safety of the Bushehr nuclear plant.
Rosatom has already evacuated nearly 100 people from the plant and plans further evacuations as the situation permits.
The Bushehr nuclear plant is located in the Iranian port city of Bushehr and was built by Russia.
While non-essential staff have been evacuated, other personnel remain at the plant, with additional evacuations planned if the situation worsens.
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