[_dain_]

>This is, so far as I know, the first time anyone has carried out a military attack on a nuclear plant

The Israelis bombed an Iraqi plant in the 80s I think.

[nickff]

You're talking about Operation Opera, which was an attack on the unfinished Osirak reactor in Iraq.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Opera

[throwanem]

Still a fair callout. Edited my original comment to clarify.

[michaelmrose]

The bombed an unfinished plant that they believed would have been critical in paving the way for a belligerent dictator to obtain nuclear weapons courtesy of short sighted idiots in Europe.

Both the Iranians and the Israelis actually bombed the site one different operations in different years. Thereafter Saddam is now known to have said.

"Once Iraq walks out victorious [over Iran], there will not be any Israel"

It was both justified and didn't represent the risk that attacking this reactor represents.