ISTANBUL

One person was killed when Iran's Bushehr nuclear plant was hit on Saturday amid the US-Israeli war on the country, Iran's semi-official Fars News Agency reported.

The deceased was one of the plant's security personnel, the outlet said, adding that one of the plant’s auxiliary buildings was damaged by the blast and shrapnel.

Preliminary assessments indicate the plant’s main sections were not affected and that it remains operational, the agency added.

The incident marks the fourth time the facility came under attack during the ongoing war that started on Feb. 28.

For its part, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) announced that "no increase in radiation levels was reported."

IAEA chief Rafael Grossi "expresses deep concern about the reported incident and says NPP (nuclear power plant) sites or nearby areas must never be attacked, noting that auxiliary site buildings may contain vital safety equipment," the UN nuclear watchdog said on US social media company X.

The region has been on alert since the US and Israel launched a joint offensive on Iran on Feb. 28, killing more than 1,340 people to date, including then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.​​​​​​​

Tehran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, as well as Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries hosting US military assets.