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The United States has completed a ninth consecutive night of coordinated military strikes on Iran, expanding its campaign to include critical infrastructure along the country’s southern coast and marking a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict.
According to US Central Command, the latest operations targeted command centres, air defence systems, missile and drone launch sites, maritime assets and communications networks. The strikes are part of a sustained effort to degrade Iran’s military capabilities and disrupt its strategic operations.
In a major development, US forces directly struck the under-construction Darkhovin nuclear power plant—reportedly the first time a nuclear power facility itself has been hit in this conflict.
Iranian officials, including Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi, condemned the attack, insisting the site was intended for peaceful energy purposes. Authorities said no radioactive materials were present, and no radiation leak has been reported.
The escalation follows earlier strikes on nuclear-related sites in Natanz, Fordow and Isfahan, but the targeting of Darkhovin signals a shift toward more sensitive and symbolic infrastructure.
Meanwhile, the conflict’s ripple effects were felt beyond Iran’s borders. A US service member was killed in northern Iraq during the controlled detonation of unexploded ordnance from a downed Iranian drone, highlighting the broader regional risks.
At sea, US forces enforcing a naval blockade reported redirecting six commercial vessels and disabling another, underscoring efforts to tighten pressure on Iran’s maritime operations.
Separately, Iran’s western Kermanshah Province was shaken by two earthquakes near Kuzaran, measuring 5.2 and 5.7 in magnitude. State media reported three people injured, though essential services remained stable as emergency teams assessed the damage.
As strikes continue and tensions mount, the campaign is increasingly being viewed as a systematic push to dismantle Iran’s military and strategic infrastructure—raising concerns over further escalation in an already volatile region.
