WASHINGTON, June 20. /TASS/. The US administration is not ready to discuss potential consequences of Israel’s strikes on the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant or any other nuclear reactors in Iran, US State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce said.
"Well, certainly I'm not going to speculate on the impact of the nature of what is transpiring in any country in this regard," she said when asked whether the United States is worried about potential impact of Israeli strikes on the Bushehr NPP or any other reactors. "I know that Israel has issued statements <…> with any concerns regarding the actions that they're taking, and I would refer you to the Israeli government in that regard. But I'm not going to speculate on a hypothetical dynamic at this point."
Russian President Vladimir Putin said at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum earlier in the day that Russia continues work at Iran’s Bushehr NPP, as it got assurances from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump that its staff will be safe.
Meanwhile, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi said that he hopes that the United States will not use bunker-busting bombs against Iran’s Fordow nuclear site. He also said that allegations that Iran could create a nuclear bomb in the near future are "pure speculation." In Grossi’s view, having fuel does not necessarily lead to the production of weapons. Being guided by such logic, any country having nuclear power plants can be accused of developing nuclear weapons, he noted.
Overnight into June 13, Israel launched Operation Rising Lion targeting Iran’s nuclear program. Iran responded in less than 24 hours. Since then, Tel Aviv and Tehran have been exchanging strikes. Both parties reported casualties and damage, and admitted that a number of facilities had been hit. Russia has condemned Israel’s actions and expressed its readiness to act as a mediator to settle the conflict.