‘It Was A Mistake’: Israel Backtracks On Claim Of Hitting Iran’s Bushehr Nuclear Plant

Last Updated:June 19, 2025, 18:26 IST

Israel neither confirms nor denies Bushehr strike, Russia says personnel are safe.

Moscow, Gulf capitals on alert as questions swirl over Israel's Bushehr strike claim. (IMAGE: AFP)

Israel appeared to neither deny nor confirm that it struck the Bushehr nuclear site in Iran, news agency Reuters reported citing an Israeli military spokesperson. Bushehr is Iran’s only operating nuclear power plant, which sits on the Gulf coast, and uses Russian fuel that Russia then takes back when it is spent to reduce proliferation risk.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that Moscow had received assurances from Israeli leaders regarding the safety of Russian personnel at the site.

“Our specialists are on site. This is more than two hundred people. And we agreed with the leadership of Israel that their safety will be ensured," Putin told journalists.

The Russian embassy in Iran said in a statement earlier on Thursday that Bushehr was operating normally and that it did not see any security threats.

According to the report, Gulf countries are preparing for contamination from any attack on Bushehr and in cooperation with the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has prepared a contingency plan for any attack on any nuclear plant in the region.

Shankhyaneel Sarkar

Shankhyaneel Sarkar is a senior subeditor at News18. He covers international affairs, where he focuses on breaking news to in-depth analyses. He has over five years of experience during which he has covered sev...Read More

Shankhyaneel Sarkar is a senior subeditor at News18. He covers international affairs, where he focuses on breaking news to in-depth analyses. He has over five years of experience during which he has covered sev...

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Location :

Tel Aviv/Tehran

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News world ‘It Was A Mistake’: Israel Backtracks On Claim Of Hitting Iran’s Bushehr Nuclear Plant