On March 26, Russian national nuclear energy corporation Rosatom confirmed that it had evacuated an additional 163 experts from the Bushehr nuclear power plant area, a move showing increased caution in the face of complex security developments in Iran.
According to General Director Alexey Likhachev, this expert group left Bushehr on the morning of March 25, stayed in the city of Isfahan and is expected to cross the Iran-Armenia border overnight.
The evacuation process is going smoothly, according to plan" - Mr. Likhachev said, while revealing that Russia will organize 2 more evacuations in early April.
However, not all personnel will be withdrawn. Some experts will remain to maintain the minimum operation of the factory and prepare for restarting when conditions permit.
Rosatom's continuous troop withdrawal move takes place in the context of increasing instability in the Middle East region, especially after tensions related to Iran's nuclear facilities and energy infrastructure.
The Bushehr plant - a key cooperation project between Russia and Iran - has long been considered a symbol of bilateral energy relations. The evacuation of personnel, although preventive, still clearly reflects the security risks existing around strategic facilities in this area.
In another development, on March 26, US President Donald Trump wrote on the social network Truth Social: "At the request of the Iranian Government, I issue this statement to confirm that the US will temporarily suspend the destruction of Iranian power plants for 10 days, until 8 pm on Monday, April 6, 2026 (US East Coast time). Negotiations are still ongoing, despite false statements from fake media and other parties, these negotiations are going very smoothly".
However, Iran immediately denied this information. Tehran affirmed that there was no direct negotiation with Washington, completely contrary to the statement from the US that Iranian leaders are "very keen to reach an agreement" but dare not make it public.
