Wire flash
ConflictIran warns US strike on unfinished nuclear plant poses nuclear safety risk
Editorial responsibility
- No named human review is recorded for this page.
- Source reporting is collected, normalized, translated or condensed automatically when needed.
- Automatically published source-backed update
Iran has warned of a nuclear safety risk after the United States struck the under-construction Karun (Darkhovin) nuclear power plant in Khuzestan province. Iran's UN ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani told the Security Council that U.S. forces fired multiple missiles at the facility, which is under IAEA safeguards and used exclusively for peaceful purposes. He urged the Security Council to condemn the strikes as a violation of international law prohibiting attacks on civil nuclear sites. The IAEA stated the attack posed no risk of nuclear fuel release because the plant was in early construction and contained no fuel. The strike is part of the 18th wave of U.S. missile strikes against Iranian targets. The escalation has led Iran to shut down the Strait of Hormuz and the U.S. to reinstate a naval blockade on Iranian ports, complicating peace negotiations. Oil traders remain cautiously optimistic despite reduced chances of peace.
Source report
Iran has warned of a nuclear safety risk following a U.S. missile strike on a nuclear power plant under construction in the southwestern province of Khuzestan.
According to a letter from Iran’s UN ambassador, Amir Saeid Iravani, cited by Iran’s Mehr news agency, U.S. forces fired multiple missiles at the facility. Iravani stated that the plant is covered by International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards and that all activities there are “exclusively peaceful, fully transparent and in complete conformity” with the nuclear agreement Iran reached with Western powers.
The attack targeted the Karun power plant, also known as Darkhovin after the nearest city. It was part of the 18th wave of U.S. missile strikes against Iranian targets and occurred despite IAEA safeguards. Iravani said these strikes were made possible “due to the inaction and double standards of the Security Council.”
The Iranian ambassador urged the UN Security Council to condemn the strikes as a violation of international law, which prohibits attacks on civil nuclear facilities.
IAEA Assessment
The International Atomic Energy Agency stated that the attack on the Karun power plant did not pose a risk of nuclear fuel release, as the facility was in the early stages of construction and contained no fuel—at least at the time of the IAEA’s last inspection.
Facility Details
- Construction work on the Darkhovin power plant began in December 2022.
- The facility will have a nameplate capacity of 300 MW when completed.
Broader Implications
The attack on the nuclear site is likely to complicate fresh efforts to negotiate peace between Washington and Tehran amid the latest escalation. This escalation has seen Iran shut down the Strait of Hormuz again and the U.S. reinstate its naval blockade on Iranian ports. While these developments have significantly reduced the chances of peace, oil traders appear optimistic again, betting on this unlikely outcome.
By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com
More Top Reads From Oilprice.com
Source
OilPrice.com Daily News UpdateRegional
Part of this Story
Iran Warns of Nuclear Safety Risk After U.S. Strikes Unfinished Power Plant