US Accused of Striking Iran’s Darkhovin Nuclear Site Amid Escalation

Iran on Sunday claimed that the "terrorist and criminal regime" of the US has attacked the under-construction Darkhovin nuclear power plant in Khuzestan province, according to the state broadcaster IRIB.

In a statement carried out by IRIB, the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran (AEOI) alleged that the strike took place at around 3:39 am (local time) on Sunday.

"The terrorist and criminal regime of the US, which has no nature other than bullying and lawlessness, in an aggressive and brutal act contrary to international law, attacked the Darkhoin power plant site under construction - one of the symbols of the dignity and scientific self-sufficiency of the Iranian nation - with a number of projectiles," AEOI said.

The strike comes as US President Donald Trump said that he "couldn't care less" about Iran's decision to stop abiding by the US-Iran memorandum of understanding (MoU), reiterating that Washington's priority remains preventing Tehran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, Al Jazeera reported.

Speaking in a brief phone interview with US cable network NewsNation, Trump was asked about Tehran's announcement that it would no longer adhere to the interim agreement signed with the United States last month.

"I couldn't care less," Trump said.

He added that the war's primary objective is "never allowing Iran to have a nuclear weapon."

The MoU was signed between Washington and Tehran in mid-June to end the war launched by the US and Israel in February.

The latest exchange of deadly strikes began amid disagreements over the management of the Strait of Hormuz.

How Did Iran Respond to US Actions, Including the MQ-9 Drone Incident in Ahvaz?

According to the latest updates, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps says it has intercepted and destroyed a US MQ-9 drone in Ahvaz, a city in the Khuzestan region that borders Iraq, state-run Press TV reported.

The development comes amid a sharp escalation in regional hostilities, with US Central Command (CENTCOM) carrying out a series of military operations targeting Iranian assets.

The strikes mark an "eighth consecutive night" of kinetic actions against Tehran-backed facilities in the region. The attack came in the follow-up of an announcement that the two US military personnel were killed in Jordan and another was missing following an Iranian strike.

"US Central Command (CENTCOM) completed another round of strikes against Iran on July 18 at 11:30 p.m. ET, at the Commander in Chief's direction," according to an official statement released on X.

Authorised by US President Donald Trump, the military engagement was also "designed to further degrade Iran's ability to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz," CENTCOM stated.

(With inputs from ANI)