US Strikes Darkhovin Nuclear Plant in Ninth Night of Iran Attacks

US forces struck Iran’s Darkhovin nuclear power plant, which remained under construction and held no nuclear material, in the early hours as part of their ninth consecutive night of attacks. The strike marked the first direct US attack on an Iranian nuclear power plant since the US-Israel war on Iran began on February 28.

US Central Command said the night’s targets included military command centres, air defence systems, coastal surveillance facilities, maritime capabilities, missile and drone launch sites, and communications networks.

A separate US strike southwest of Tabriz killed one person and wounded several others at a military site. Majid Farshi, director general of crisis management in East Azerbaijan province, said the attack was the first US operation beyond southern Iran since escalation began 10 days earlier. Rescue and security teams responded immediately to the site.

A vessel caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz after being hit by a projectile 8 nautical miles northwest of Kumzar, Oman. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations reported that the crew abandoned the vessel and was recovered by a tug boat, while the ship remained adrift with the fire still burning. Authorities advised vessels to transit the area with caution.

Two earthquakes struck near Kuzaran in western Kermanshah province. The first, magnitude 5.2, hit at 7:13am local time at a depth of 8km, followed five minutes later by a magnitude 5.7 quake at 13km depth. Three people were wounded, according to state media.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi discussed restoring security and stability in the region during a phone call. Abdelatty condemned recent Iranian attacks on Jordan and expressed Cairo’s full solidarity with Amman’s measures to protect its security and sovereignty.