IAEA says Darkhovin site had no nuclear material

The International Atomic Energy Agency said Sunday it is investigating Iran’s allegation that U.S. forces struck a nuclear power plant under construction in southern Iran, as fighting between the two countries escalated after the deaths of two U.S. service members in Jordan.

Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization said U.S. forces hit the Darkhovin Power Plant, located in the country’s southwest. The IAEA said it reached out to the Iranian government about the reported attack on Sunday morning.

“The facility is in the very early stages of construction and contained no nuclear material when last visited by the IAEA,” the agency said in a post on X. “While the reported attack is not believed to pose any radiological risk, [IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi] reiterates call for military restraint in the vicinity of all nuclear-related sites.”

Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization began work on the Darkhovin plant in 2022, but construction did not officially start until March 2026, according to the World Nuclear Association, as reported by CNN, citing UPI.

The United States ordered fresh airstrikes on Iranian targets Saturday after Iranian attacks Friday in Jordan killed two U.S. service members and left a third missing, according to UPI. The U.S. Embassy in Amman warned U.S. citizens to avoid the international airport and seaport in Aqaba and all military bases in Jordan.

Jordan’s military said Sunday afternoon it intercepted three Iranian missiles, and a third landed in a remote area. Aqaba is situated on Jordan’s southern coast, a few miles from the border with Israel. The Israeli military warned of potential spillover from Iranian attacks into Israel, according to The Times of Israel, as reported by UPI.

“There may be spillover into Israeli territory as a result of the fire,” the military said.

MSI previously reported that the conflict escalated on Saturday, with U.S. forces hitting Iranian military infrastructure and Iran striking American allies in the Gulf, as Israel intensified its bombardment of Lebanon. The Strait of Hormuz remained closed, and infrastructure damage in Iran and Kuwait left thousands without access to water.