IAEA urges no strike on Bushehr plant; confirms Ardakan strike safe

Middle Eastern coverage stresses that Israeli strikes have disabled Iran’s Khondab heavy water reactor and damaged other nuclear-linked sites, raising the risk of an accident. This view holds that attacks on facilities like Khondab and Ardakan blur the line between military and civilian targets and could endanger people across the region. Commentators expect more pressure on Israel and Iran to avoid hitting the Bushehr nuclear power plant directly.

• •Middle Eastern outlets state that an Israeli strike has rendered Iran’s Khondab heavy water reactor non-operational.
• •Regional commentary links the attacks on Khondab and Ardakan to a wider campaign against Iran’s nuclear capabilities.
• •Writers warn that further strikes near Bushehr could threaten civilian populations in Iran and neighboring Gulf states.
• •Some voices argue that the IAEA’s warning on Bushehr shows international concern over targeting civilian nuclear infrastructure.
• •Analysts in the region expect Iran to respond in ways that avoid giving Israel a pretext to hit Bushehr itself.