VIENNA, March 19 (Xinhua) -- Iran's envoy in Vienna has asked the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to condemn the Israeli attack at Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant (NPP), calling the attack "a very grave and serious situation."

In an interview published on Thursday, Reza Najafi, ambassador and permanent representative to the United Nations and other international organizations in Vienna, told Press TV that Iran's Atomic Energy Organization chief Mohammad Eslami had sent a letter to IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi, urging him to condemn the Israeli attack at Bushehr NPP. However, this letter and previous ones from the Iranian side remained unanswered.

Najafi called the Israeli attack "intentional," which occurred 200 meters from the nuclear reactor on Tuesday evening. He said this was the third strike in proximity to Iranian nuclear facilities after Natanz and Isfahan were attacked at the beginning of the current U.S.-Israeli strike on Iran.

"We have not seen any positive reaction from the IAEA, just asking for restraint," Najafi said, urging the IAEA to condemn these attacks.

In a social media post on Wednesday, the IAEA said it has been informed about the attack on the premises of the Bushehr nuclear power plant and called for maximum restraint to prevent the risk of a nuclear accident. Meanwhile, Russia strongly condemned the missile strike, saying the attack was a few short metres away from an operational power unit, which created threats to the lives of Russian personnel at the site. ■