Iran's Darkhovin Nuclear Plant Construction Site Attacked by US
Tehran (ANTARA) - The construction area of the Darkhovin Nuclear Power Plant in Khuzestan Province, south-western Iran, was attacked by American missiles on Sunday, according to a report by the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran (AEOI).
In a statement published on its official website, the AEOI said the attack occurred at 03:39 local time (07:09 WIB), describing it as an “aggressive and brutal act” that violated Iran’s national sovereignty as well as international law.
The AEOI did not mention whether there were any casualties or material damage resulting from the attack.
Meanwhile, the Navy of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Sunday that it had halted two vessels committing “violations” for attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz via unsafe routes.
In a statement published on the IRGC’s official media outlet, Sepah News, the navy said four vessels committing “violations” ignored warnings, switched off their navigation systems, and attempted to cause “disruption” in the strait whilst crossing it via unsafe routes with American backing.
The navy further stated that two of the vessels “were involved in accidents” and were halted, whilst the other two were blocked from continuing on their routes.
The IRGC Navy said the strait is under the full control of its forces, and that the only safe route for crossing those waters is the passage designated by Iran.
No oil, gas, or chemical fertilisers can be transported through the strait without coordination with, and permission from, Iran, the navy added.
Iran has tightened its control over the Strait of Hormuz since 28 February, when it banned the safe passage lane for vessels owned by or affiliated with Israel and the United States, following the two countries’ joint attacks on Iranian territory.
Over the past several days, the United States has launched several waves of attacks against Iran, claiming they are a response to actions by Iran’s armed forces targeting vessels in the strait, and are intended to “weaken Iran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping.”
On Saturday (18/7), the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said American forces had completed an eighth round of strikes against “coastal surveillance facilities and air defences, maritime capabilities, and Iranian military missile and drone storage sites,” whilst more than 50,000 American troops in the Middle East remained on “high alert.”
Iran has responded with waves of missile and drone attacks targeting American bases and facilities in the region.