Iran has accused the United States of striking the construction site of the Darkhovin nuclear power plant in the southwestern province of Khuzestan.
The facility remains at an early stage of development, and the United States has not publicly confirmed that the nuclear project was deliberately targeted.
Iran reports multiple projectiles
The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran said several projectiles struck the Darkhovin site, also known as the Karun nuclear project, at approximately 3:39 a.m. local time on Sunday.
The organization described the facility as a peaceful nuclear energy project covered by International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards. It claimed that attacking such a site constituted a clear violation of international law.
Iranian authorities did not disclose the type of munitions used, the extent of the damage or whether anyone was injured.
The claim emerged as US forces completed an eighth consecutive night of strikes against Iran. US Central Command said the latest attacks targeted coastal surveillance and air-defence facilities, maritime capabilities and missile and drone storage sites linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Darkhovin was not specifically identified in the list of targets released by the US military.
IAEA examines reports of the strike
The IAEA said it was investigating reports that the site had been attacked overnight.
According to the UN nuclear watchdog, Darkhovin was still in the “very early stages of construction” and contained no nuclear material when inspectors last visited the location.
The absence of nuclear fuel or other nuclear material substantially reduces the possibility of an immediate radiological release. However, the agency has not yet published a detailed assessment of the reported impact or damage.
Satellite images captured by Planet Labs on July 9 showed land clearing at the site but little visible construction. The imagery suggests that work on the main reactor complex had not progressed far before the reported attack.
What is the Darkhovin nuclear project?
Iran formally launched construction work at Darkhovin in December 2022. The site is located near the Karun River in Khuzestan, not far from the country’s border with Iraq.
The project is planned around an Iranian-designed pressurized water reactor capable of generating approximately 300 megawatts of electricity.
Iranian officials said the plant would take about eight years to complete and cost between $1.5 billion and $2 billion. Iranian companies were expected to manufacture major mechanical components and equipment for the reactor’s primary cooling system.
Unlike uranium-enrichment facilities such as Natanz and Fordow, Darkhovin is intended to generate electricity. Its reported targeting nevertheless raises renewed concerns about military operations near nuclear infrastructure, even when a reactor has not yet entered operation.
For now, the account remains based primarily on Iran’s statement. Independent analysis and the IAEA investigation will be needed to determine exactly what was struck, how much damage occurred and whether the nuclear construction site itself was the intended target.