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Russia's state nuclear energy corporation, Rosatom, is prepared to evacuate its personnel from Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant if necessary, General Manager Alexei Likhachev told local media.
"We sincerely hope that the parties to the conflict will uphold their commitments regarding the inviolability of this territory (Bushehr)," Likhachev said over U.S. threats of military strikes on the country.
Likhachev stated that during the summer conflict involving Iran, the United States, and Israel, the Bushehr station was "the safest place in Iran."
He emphasized that President Vladimir Putin personally engaged both the U.S. and Israeli sides to ensure the plant’s security.
Although a U.S. military strike on Iranian nuclear sites in June of the previous year did not target Bushehr, concerns about its vulnerability persist.
At that time, Likhachev had warned that an attack on Bushehr could result in a disaster on the scale of the 1986 Chernobyl incident.
The Rosatom chief noted that the Russian government is closely monitoring the situation and remains in coordination with both the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Defence.
"We are keeping our finger on the pulse, and, in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Defense, we will be ready to carry out evacuation measures if necessary," he said.
Likhachev added that around 400 Russians, including technical specialists and their families, are currently stationed at the site. He recalled that previous evacuations were carried out via Azerbaijan and Armenia, using multiple routes before flying personnel out of the region.
He clarified that "no decisions have been made at this time" regarding withdrawal and that the production program at Bushehr is proceeding according to plan.
Bushehr is Iran’s only operational nuclear power plant and was constructed by Russia.
Moscow has maintained a significant technical presence at the site, with President Vladimir Putin previously stating that hundreds of Russians are currently working at the facility.
Russia is also involved in the ongoing construction of additional reactors at the same location.
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