Iran's Bushehr nuclear plant unit 2 construction resumes

CEO Alexey Likhachev of Rosatom, Russia's state nuclear corporation, said that concreting and reinforcing the second unit of the Bushehr nuclear power plant has resumed, Russia's Tass news agency reported on Sunday.

"Our specialists who remained at the site have already engaged in active cooperation with contractors as part of the fulfillment of contractual obligations," he said, adding that technical and consulting support for construction operations has been deployed remotely.

Rosatom has started developing plans to increase personnel numbers. "At the same time, we have to take into account the military situation. We have no right to decide on the return of personnel to the site in full until the situation is clarified," Likhachev said.

The Bushehr nuclear power plant area first came under attack on March 17. The area was struck again by Israel and the United States late on March 24, after which Russia carried out several rounds of personnel evacuations. 

The Russian-built Bushehr facility is Iran's only operating nuclear power plant. Iran denies seeking nuclear weapons, and Russia says it supports Tehran's right to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.

According to the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, the facility was not damaged.

(With input from Reuters)