Iran denies reports of US strike on Bushehr nuclear power plant

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iran's provincial authorities in Bushehr have rejected social media reports claiming a US strike on the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant. Officials said the facility is fully secure and that there is no radiation leak or radioactive material release. According to reports carried by Fars news agency, the unfounded claims circulated on Sunday evening, alleging that the plant's waste area had been targeted and that radioactive material had spread in the surrounding area. Bushehr Deputy Governor Ehsan Jahaniyan told a Fars correspondent that the allegations were entirely baseless. Jahaniyan said there was no evidence to support claims of radioactive leakage or contamination at the plant's waste site, adding that the facility and its associated waste areas are operating normally and safely. The Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant, located on the Gulf coast, is Iran's first and largest nuclear energy facility and was built and brought online with Russian technical assistance.