The United States conducted airstrikes overnight that hit a nuclear power plant under construction in Iran, according to Iranian officials. The attack on the partly built Darkhovin facility in the country's southwest occurred during an eighth consecutive day of strikes on Iran, following the deaths of two American service members and the disappearance of a third in an Iranian attack on Jordan.
Iran's Atomic Energy Organization stated on social media that the assault on a "peaceful nuclear facility under international safeguards is a clear violation of international law." The extent of any damage to the facility has not been disclosed, and the U.S. has not yet confirmed the strike.
According to U.S. Central Command, the strikes, initiated around 6 p.m. ET on Saturday at the direction of President Trump, were intended to degrade Iran's ability to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and to punish forces of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) responsible for attacks against American service members in Jordan.
Central Command reported that these strikes successfully targeted Iranian military coastal surveillance and air defense facilities. Iranian state media confirmed U.S. attacks near Sirik in the south of the country and a second location near Shadegan.
The recent strikes follow a period of heightened tensions in the region, which escalated after the breakdown of a proposed peace agreement brokered by Pakistan in June. In response to the latest U.S. strikes, Iranian state television reported that Iran launched a drone attack targeting U.S. military assets and equipment in Kuwait.
Iranian state TV also reported that Iran destroyed at least two U.S. fighter aircraft during a missile and drone attack on a U.S. military base in Jordan on Saturday. Kuwait's army stated Sunday it had intercepted Iranian missiles and drones earlier in the day, following sustained attacks beginning Saturday. Bahrain's state TV also reported that its air defenses intercepted an Iranian attack on Sunday. Iran did not claim responsibility for these latter attacks, and there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage.
On Sunday, the international airport and seaport in Aqaba, southern Jordan, were evacuated due to a "specific and credible threat," according to the U.S. embassy in Amman. Jordanian authorities, however, stated they had detected no recent threats and had not issued an evacuation order.
The IRGC announced Sunday that it continued to blockade the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint for global oil supply. The IRGC claimed four vessels attempted to transit the waterway using an "unsafe route" with U.S. backing, ignoring warnings. Two ships reportedly abandoned the attempt, while the other two were involved in an "accident."
U.S. Central Command stated that the two U.S. service members killed bring the total number of American service members killed since the start of the joint U.S.-Israeli war on February 28 to 16, with over 420 wounded. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth posted on X that "Their sacrifice only stiffens our resolve."
Iran's Health Ministry reported on Sunday that U.S. airstrikes had resulted in 50 deaths and over 500 wounded in the preceding three weeks. The conflict began on February 28 as part of joint U.S. and Israeli efforts to halt Iran's nuclear program.