Middle East War | Iran Air passenger jet destroyed in Bushehr Airport strike: Report

An Iran Air passenger aircraft has reportedly been destroyed on the ground during Israeli strikes in southern Iran, marking a significant escalation as the conflict begins to impact civilian aviation and nuclear infrastructure.

Iranian media, cited by Reuters, said the aircraft was hit during an attack on Bushehr Airport in the port city of Bushehr along the Persian Gulf. Reports described the passenger jet as having been “destroyed on the ground” during the strike. There was no immediate confirmation of casualties, nor clarity on whether the aircraft had been in active service at the time.

Bushehr is home to Iran’s only operational nuclear power plant, heightening concerns about the wider consequences of military action in the area.

Add Zee News as a Preferred Source

Rosatom suspends work at Nuclear Site

Amid the intensifying hostilities, Russia’s state nuclear corporation Rosatom announced it had suspended construction of additional units at the Bushehr nuclear facility.

Rosatom chief Alexei Likhachev said on Tuesday that work on the plant’s second and third units had been halted.

“It is difficult to predict the further course of events, given the ongoing military operations against Iran, but our people will remain there in any case, and this facility will be among our priorities,” Likhachev told journalists.

He had earlier warned of the risks posed by military activity near nuclear facilities, noting that explosions could be heard “just kilometres away” from the plant, although he stressed that the facility itself was not being directly targeted.

Evacuations and communication disruptions

Likhachev added that there was currently no telephone or electronic contact with the leadership of Iran’s nuclear industry, though communication with personnel at the construction site remained intact.

According to him, 639 Russian specialists are still in Iran. Some workers who had been in Tehran are now leaving the country. Nearly 100 staff members and their families were evacuated on Saturday, when US and Israeli strikes began, and further evacuations are expected to take place during pauses in air operations.

The reported destruction of a civilian aircraft and the suspension of nuclear construction underscore the expanding scope of the conflict, as military action increasingly affects strategic infrastructure and foreign operations within Iran.