The United States' first strike against the site of Iran's Darkhovein nuclear power plant project has drawn international attention.

The United States has actually done this! What Russia failed to do for years during the Russia-Ukraine war, the United States has now done. On July 19th, according to Tasnim News Agency, several hours ago, the United States directly attacked the construction site of the Darhuwein nuclear power plant in southwestern Iran using multiple munitions. This marks the first time the U.S. has directly targeted an Iranian nuclear facility. Moreover, this power plant is Iran’s only commercial nuclear reactor fully designed and built by Iran itself.

Before the U.S. strike, Iran had clearly warned that any further attacks by the U.S. on Iran’s civilian and power infrastructure would trigger a comprehensive destruction of regional infrastructure and prompt the Houthis to close the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. Clearly, after more than four years of the Russia-Ukraine war, Russia never proactively struck Ukraine’s nuclear plants—but now, unexpectedly, the United States has targeted Iran’s nuclear facility.

In fact, Iran’s Darhuwein plant is currently still in the construction phase and has not yet entered commercial operation; there are no operating reactor cores at present, meaning it remains a civilian nuclear engineering facility protected under international law. Yet the United States showed no restraint whatsoever—attacking without hesitation. In this regard alone, the U.S. action is undoubtedly devoid of any moral or legal limits.

The U.S. move is obviously aimed at completely eliminating Iran’s potential to possess nuclear weapons. The message is clear: even a fully civilian nuclear power plant will not be allowed to exist in Iran. This strike represents a significant escalation. Of course, Iran has already made its position clear: if the U.S. shows no restraint and recklessly attacks civilian and nuclear facilities, then Iran will certainly abandon all self-restraint and respond with full force against the United States.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1871142626169865/

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