Satellite images show damage inside Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant

Satellite imagery analysis has documented damage within Iran's Bushehr nuclear power plant complex during the latest phase of US military operations against Iran. European Sentinel-2 satellite images captured on July 7 and July 12 reveal newly formed impact scars inside the Bushehr facility, along with apparent strike sites in adjacent support infrastructure. Al Jazeera's open-source intelligence unit compiled satellite data, field footage, and official US Central Command information to map the extent of strikes across Iran during the July 7-15 period.

Bushehr is Iran's sole operating nuclear power plant, located approximately 17 kilometres south of the city of Bushehr. The 2.5-square-kilometre complex encompasses reactor buildings, ocean-connected cooling systems, assembly facilities, and a harbour for equipment reception. The facility contains two reactor structures, one operational and one incomplete. According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, the operational Bushehr-1 reactor has a net electrical capacity of approximately 915 megawatts and entered commercial operation in September 2013.

Iranian officials initially disputed reports of direct strikes on the nuclear facility. Ehsan Jahanian, deputy governor of Bushehr province, stated on July 9 that multiple locations across the province had been struck, including areas surrounding the plant, but subsequently denied the reactor itself had been damaged. However, satellite evidence contradicts these claims. The US Central Command announced it had struck approximately 90 military targets on July 7-8, including air defence systems and military infrastructure, though it did not publicly identify Bushehr among announced targets. Unlike uranium enrichment facilities, the operational Bushehr reactor contains nuclear fuel and radioactive materials associated with power generation, making damage to cooling, power supply, or containment systems particularly sensitive. This incident follows multiple reported projectile incidents near the plant earlier in 2026, including strikes recorded by Iran's nuclear regulator on March 17, March 24, March 27, and April 4.