Iran is moving ahead with plans to build nuclear power plants at five locations along its coastline as part of efforts to increase the share of nuclear energy in the country’s electricity supply, the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran said on Monday.

Mohammad Eslami, who serves as vice president and chief of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, made the comments during a meeting with members of the parliament’s energy and construction commissions, The Caspian Post reports, citing Anadolu Agency.

Eslami said the projects are being carried out under Iran’s comprehensive strategic document for the nuclear industry, which was unveiled in 2022.

“Based on this document, the construction of nuclear power plants at five coastal locations is on the agenda to increase the share of nuclear electricity in the country’s energy basket, and these projects are progressing according to plan,” he said.

The official also noted that the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant has recently generated more than 80 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity. According to Eslami, this achievement has saved the equivalent of 131 million barrels of crude oil or 21.3 billion cubic meters of natural gas.

He added that the second and third units of the Bushehr facility are currently under construction as part of a $10 billion investment project, describing them as among the country’s largest infrastructure developments.

Bushehr, Iran’s only operational nuclear power plant, is located on the southern coast of the Persian Gulf and supplies electricity to the national power grid.

Regional tensions have remained high since late February following airstrikes launched by the United States and Israel against Iran.

Iranian media reported that the Bushehr plant was targeted several times during the conflict but said the attacks neither disrupted operations nor affected the facility’s electricity production.

Tensions rose again on Sunday when Israel carried out strikes on the Lebanese capital, Beirut, despite an existing ceasefire. In response, Iran launched missiles toward northern Israel, while Israel conducted multiple waves of airstrikes against Iranian targets.

Iran’s military said early Monday that it was suspending attacks on Israel but warned that it would deliver a “crushing” response if Israeli attacks on Lebanon continued.

Israeli media, citing unnamed officials, reported that Israel had agreed to stop airstrikes on Iran while continuing its military operations in southern Lebanon.