What is the Iranian Bushehr reactor that Israel fears attacking?

In a new escalation between Tel Aviv and Tehran, Israeli fighter jets launched an attack on the Natanz nuclear enrichment complex, causing significant damage to the Iranian nuclear site's infrastructure.

Natanz attack: Israeli escalation raises international concern

According to IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi, the attack did not result in any changes in radiation or chemical readings, indicating no nuclear leak.

Although there is no active core at Natanz, where centrifuges spin uranium hexafluoride gas to increase the concentration of uranium-235, the attack raised questions about the possibility of future strikes on more dangerous sites, such as the Bushehr reactor.

Bushehr reactor... a "red line" that has not yet been touched

Despite the escalation, Israel has so far refrained from targeting the Bushehr reactor, Iran's only nuclear facility that produces electricity. This nuclear reactor, which could potentially produce plutonium for nuclear weapons if its equipment is modified, has remained immune to airstrikes.

The Jerusalem Post attributes this reluctance to the danger of striking an active nuclear reactor, as it could cause a radiation leak that would threaten the lives of civilians over long distances. Estimates indicate that the repercussions of such an attack could be catastrophic, reminiscent of nuclear disasters such as Chernobyl and Fukushima.

Military Precedents: Lessons from Iraq and Syria

History shows that Israel has previously targeted nuclear reactors in the early stages of their construction, such as the Osirak reactor in Iraq in 1981 and the Al-Kibar reactor in Syria in 2007. Both attacks occurred before these reactors had entered a stable nuclear reaction state, reducing the possibility of a radioactive catastrophe.

But the situation is different at Bushehr, where nuclear reactions are constantly taking place and where there is a strong concrete shield. This makes any attack fraught with double the risk of widespread environmental contamination or even an uncontrolled nuclear explosion, according to Dr. Eyal Benko, a former intelligence officer and researcher at the Begin-Sadat Center.

Regional and diplomatic concerns are rising.

Although international reports so far show no indications of a radioactive leak at Natanz, the international community remains on edge. Iran still maintains more than a dozen diverse nuclear sites, including enrichment facilities, reactors, and warhead development facilities.

While the underground Fordow complex remains relatively safe from airstrikes in terms of environmental impact, fears remain that a direct strike on any active reactor like Bushehr would escalate the crisis to a regional, and possibly global, level. Diplomats and energy markets are cautiously awaiting any new developments that could ignite a wider confrontation in the Middle East.