Projectile Hits Near Iran’s Bushehr Nuclear Plant as Regional Conflict Intensifies

By Tahir Shah :

A projectile struck near the perimeter of Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant on Saturday, killing one security guard and damaging a nearby building, according to Iranian authorities and local media reports.

Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency initially reported that the strike landed close to the facility’s fence in the country’s southwest but did not damage the main structures of the nuclear plant. Later, the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran confirmed that a member of the plant’s security staff had been killed and that a side building at the site had been damaged. Officials said there was no radiological risk resulting from the incident.

The strike came as the conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel continued to widen across the region. In neighbouring Iraq, authorities closed the Shalamcheh border crossing with Iran after airstrikes on the Iranian side reportedly killed an Iraqi citizen and seriously injured at least five others. Security sources said the strikes hit a passenger reception area near the crossing, prompting Iraqi officials to suspend both trade and travel through the route.

Elsewhere in Iran, several explosions were reported in the Mahshahr special petrochemical zone in Khuzestan province, according to the Fars news agency. Iranian outlet ISNA said there was a strong possibility of casualties following what it described as US-Israeli attacks on the industrial area.

The developments came as Iranian forces searched for a missing US pilot following the reported downing of two American warplanes in recent days. Officials said one pilot ejected from a two-seat F-15E fighter jet that was brought down by Iranian fire, while another pilot from an A-10 aircraft that crashed in Kuwait was rescued. Iranian authorities said security forces were combing a region in the southwest of the country for the missing airman.

According to US officials quoted by international media, search operations involved helicopters that also came under Iranian fire but managed to leave Iranian airspace. Details about possible injuries among the crews were not immediately confirmed.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps said its air defence systems had destroyed dozens of cruise missiles, several advanced aircraft and more than 160 drones during the conflict. The statement said new defence tactics and equipment had been used to counter enemy attacks.

Israel said its air force had carried out strikes inside Tehran targeting air defence positions and military facilities linked to weapons development and missile storage, although no independent confirmation of the claims was immediately available.

The fighting has also spread beyond Iran’s borders. In southern Lebanon, an Israeli air strike on a fishing port in Tyre killed one person, according to the country’s state news agency, while other attacks were reported in the Bekaa Valley and along the southern front line.

Meanwhile, Gulf states remain on alert amid growing regional tensions. Authorities in Dubai said debris from aerial interceptions struck two buildings but caused no injuries. Kuwait also reported damage after drones targeted the Mina al-Ahmadi oil refinery.

The conflict, which began more than a month ago following US-Israeli strikes on Iran, has raised concerns about global energy supplies and the wider economic impact. Oil prices surged earlier in the week, with benchmark US crude rising sharply after President Donald Trump signalled the possibility of further military action.

In recent statements, Mr Trump threatened additional strikes on Iranian infrastructure, including bridges and power plants, while Iranian officials vowed to continue retaliatory attacks against US and allied targets in the region.