Russia voices concern over reported strike on Darkhovin plant

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova on Sunday expressed serious concern over reports that Iran's under-construction Darkhovin nuclear power plant was struck overnight, according to the Anadolu Agency. She called on the International Atomic Energy Agency to assess the incident and warned that such attacks breach international law. Zakharova said Moscow had taken note of media reports about the alleged strike, which she said raised concerns over nuclear safety at the facility and the broader security situation surrounding Iran. "We have indeed taken note of reports in the media. They cause serious concern both from the standpoint of the nuclear safety of this facility, which is under IAEA safeguards, and in terms of the increasingly alarming developments around Iran," she said in a statement published on the ministry's website.

Attacks violate international law

Zakharova said attacks on nuclear facilities violate international law, UN Security Council resolutions and IAEA principles and deserve the strongest condemnation. She also said attempts to portray Iran's civilian nuclear program as a threat were being used to justify military action. "Any attempts against this backdrop to inflate alleged threats related to Iran's peaceful nuclear program are nothing more than a cover for unacceptable plans to unleash another bloodshed in Iran," she said. She added that the right of non-nuclear-weapon states, including Iran, to develop and use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty must not be called into question or become the target of external attacks.

Tehran confirms US strikes

Earlier on Sunday, Iran's Atomic Energy Organization said that US strikes had targeted the under-construction Darkhovin nuclear power plant, according to the Anadolu Agency. The reported incident comes amid heightened tensions over Iran's civilian nuclear program. The Darkhovin facility operates under IAEA safeguards and is monitored by international inspectors.