Report: New Iran Reactor Could Become Modern Chernobyl

According to new intelligence reports, "Iran's Bushehr nuclear plant has been penetrated by a computer worm unleashed last year."  When the plant comes online and is fully operational, this could lead to a Chernobyl-like meltdown.

The virus could have disrupted several safety precautions in the plant's system.  According to the report, the plant could meltdown with the "force of a small nuclear bomb."

The report continues, "The minimum possible damage would be a meltdown of the reactor.  However, external damage and massive environmental destruction could also occur... similar to the Chernobyl disaster."

Chernobyl

AP reports that the virus, known as Stuxnet, "has the ability to send centrifuges spinning out of control and temporarily crippled Iran's uranium enrichment program."

Though Iran denies that the virus has affected their nuclear plant, Russia's envoy to NATO, Dmitry Rogozin dismisses that statement.  Rogozin stated that "the virus which is very toxic, very dangerous, could have had very serious implications could have led to a new Chernobyl."

The nuclear plant in Chernobyl exploded in 1986.  Its meltdown led to the evacuation of an entire cities, some 350,000 people, and the surrounding area is still mostly uninhabitable to this day.  It is also estimate that up to 4,000 people have died because of the meltdown (including those who died later from illnesses).

Yet this is in the U.S.S.R., which at the time was one of the strongest countries on earth with many resources.  Iran, on the other hand, could have a much greater humanitarian crisis on its hands.

Ironically, Russia built the new Iranian factory.  As AP reports:

Iran has acknowledged that the malware — malicious software designed to infiltrate computer systems — hit the laptops of technicians working at Bushehr, but has denied that the plant was affected or that Stuxnet was responsible for delays in the startup of the Russian-built reactor.

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