Iran says US attacked under-construction nuclear power plant
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Tehran: Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation (AEOI) on Sunday claimed that the under-construction Darkhovin nuclear power plant in the southwestern province of Khuzestan was struck by US projectiles.
In a statement published on its official website, the AEOI said the attack occurred at 3:39 a.m. local time (2409 GMT), describing it as "an aggressive and brutal action" that violates Iran's national sovereignty and international law.
The organisation did not provide details on any casualties or material damage resulting from the attack.
Meanwhile, the Navy of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it intercepted two "violating" vessels attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz through what it described as an unsafe route.
In a statement carried by the IRGC's official news outlet, Sepah News, the navy said four vessels ignored warnings, switched off their navigation systems, and attempted to disrupt movement in the strategic waterway with US support by using an unauthorised route.
According to the IRGC, two of the vessels were involved in an accident and were stopped, while the remaining two were forced to abandon their course.
The navy asserted that the Strait of Hormuz remains under its full control and said the only secure route for transiting the waterway is the one designated by Iran.
It further claimed that no oil, gas, or chemical fertiliser shipments can pass through the strait without coordination with and permission from Iranian authorities.
The developments came a day after the US Central Command announced that American forces had completed the eighth round of strikes targeting "Iranian military coastal surveillance and air defence facilities, maritime capabilities, and missile and drone storage sites," adding that more than 50,000 US troops in the Middle East remain "highly vigilant."
Also on Sunday, the Iranian Army said it had launched retaliatory drone strikes on US military bases in Kuwait in response to what it described as US aggression against Iran and attacks on civilian infrastructure, including bridges.
In statements published on its website, the army said it targeted the Al-Adiri Camp and the Ali Al Salem Air Base in two rounds of drone attacks.
With IANS inputs