Iranian Nuclear Facility Suffers Technical Fault  

Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant was shut down due to “technical difficulties,” the state’s Atomic Energy Organization announced Monday morning on its website. The authorities claimed the initiated, temporary outage was preceded by a one-day notice issued to the energy ministry, and that work on the faulty grid could last up to a week. The Islamic Republic’s national electricity company on Sunday called on citizens to minimize consumption in the coming days “due to ongoing repairs at [the] Bushehr plant.” This is the first time the facility, which became operational in 2011, has been blacked out, as was predicted by local nuclear scientists early this year who warned that US-imposed sanctions would hinder its production. The plant is fueled by Russian-made uranium, and is monitored by the United Nations’ International Atomic Energy Agency.