Full Breakdown
Satellite Images Reveal New Scars Inside Iran’s Bushehr Nuclear Plant After July U.S. Strikes
7/18/2026, 4:42:04 AM
New Satellite Evidence of Damage at Bushehr Plant
European Sentinel-2 images taken on July 7 and July 12 2026 show fresh impact marks inside the Bushehr nuclear power complex and at a nearby support facility. The imagery, analyzed by Al Jazeera’s open-source unit, indicates that the strikes reached areas of the plant’s reactor buildings, cooling-water channels and assembly halls.
Recent U.S. Strike Campaign and Prior Projectile Incidents
U.S. Central Command reported striking about 90 military targets on July 7-8 2026, including air-defence systems, missile and drone storage sites, naval assets and other infrastructure along Iran’s southern coast. The campaign, part of a broader escalation between Washington and Tehran, did not list Bushehr or any nuclear facility among the announced targets. Earlier in 2026, Iran’s nuclear regulator logged projectile impacts inside the plant on March 17, March 24, March 27 and near the reactor fence on April 4, with officials saying the reactor remained operational.
Official Statements from Iran and the United States
Deputy governor of Bushehr province Ehsan Jahanian told state media on July 9 that several locations across the province, including areas surrounding the plant, had been struck, but later denied that the reactor itself had been hit, asserting that it continued to operate normally. U.S. CENTCOM confirmed the July 7-8 strikes but did not identify Bushehr as a target.
IAEA Safety Concerns
The International Atomic Energy Agency has repeatedly warned that nuclear facilities must never become targets of armed attacks because of the potential consequences for people, the environment and regional nuclear safety.
Verbatim Quotes
- “The open-source unit of Al Jazeera Network compiled satellite imagery, field footage and official data from the US Central Command (CENTCOM) to map the locations of US strikes across Iran between July 7 and July 15.” — Al Jazeera, reporting
- “US Central Command (CENTCOM) said it struck about 90 military targets on July 7-8, including air defence systems, missile and drone storage sites, naval assets and military infrastructure along Iran’s southern coast.” — CENTCOM statement
- “Ehsan Jahanian, deputy governor of Bushehr province, had said on July 9 that several locations across the province had been struck, including areas surrounding the Bushehr nuclear power plant, a military site in Choghadak and a fishing port in the south of the province, according to Iran’s state news agency IRNA.” — IRNA report
- “The IAEA has repeatedly stressed that nuclear facilities should never become targets of armed attacks because of the potential consequences for people, the environment and regional nuclear safety.” — IAEA statement
