Iran accuses US of violating international law after strike on nuclear plant

Iran accuses US of violating international law after strike on nuclear plant

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Sun, 07/19/2026 - 13:05

Energy watchdog says Darkhovin nuclear plant symbolises Iranian nation's dignity and self-reliance

Handout video released by US Central Command shows the resumption of strikes on Iran (US Central Command/Screengrab)

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Iran’s nuclear energy watchdog condemned the United States for bombing the construction site of the Darkhovin Nuclear Power Plant.

In a statement, the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran (AEOI) said the US had targeted a symbol of the Iranian nation’s dignity and its efforts to achieve self-reliance.

“The terrorist and criminal US regime, whose nature is nothing but bullying and lawlessness, carried out an aggressive and barbaric act in violation of international law,” the organisation said in a statement.

The AEOI did not disclose the extent of the damage but described the attack as a violation of international law.

The power plant is located in Khuzestan province in southwestern Iran. Construction of the current reactor began in 2022 at a site on the Karun River, about 70km south of Ahvaz and roughly 100km north of the Persian Gulf.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said it was looking into reports of the overnight attack. 

“The facility is in the very early stages of construction and contained no nuclear material when last visited by the IAEA,” the UN agency said, adding that the attack is not believed to pose any radiological risk. 

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi reiterated a call for “military restraint in the vicinity of all nuclear-related sites”.

Earlier on Saturday, Iranian officials said Iran had withdrawn from a memorandum of understanding with the Trump administration after the US resumed its bombardment of the country.

Iran and the US have intensified their attacks since an interim ceasefire deal signed a month ago fell apart last week, raising the possibility of a return to all-out war.

US Central Command (Centcom) said the latest air strikes began at 6pm ET (10pm GMT) on Saturday at the direction of President Donald Trump.

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"The strikes are designed to further degrade Iran's ability to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and swiftly punish Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces who launched attacks against American service members in Jordan last night," it said in a statement.

Centcom later said it had completed its wave of attacks, targeting Iranian coastal surveillance and air defence facilities.

Iran's Mehr News Agency said the US carried out an attack near Sirik in southern Iran, adding that no casualties or damage to infrastructure have been reported.

The US military also targeted a location near Shadegan, close to the Iraqi border, semi-official Tasnim News Agency reported. 

The conflict began when the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran on 28 February, seeking to disable its nuclear and missile programmes and weaken its regional proxies.

It has caused major disruption to energy supplies, raised fears over global inflation and intensified the battle for control of the Strait of Hormuz.

In a written statement carried by Iranian state media late on Saturday, Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said US actions had shown that President Donald Trump's signature was "utterly worthless and devoid of credibility".

The statement warned of "even heavier costs and further humiliation" for the United States.

Khamenei has not been seen in public since before his father and predecessor as supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, was killed in an air strike on the first day of the US-Israeli war against Iran on 28 February. 

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