ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – Iran on Monday condemned the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) “silence and indifference” for not acting against the US following an attack on an under-construction nuclear power plant in the country’s southwest a day earlier.

On Sunday, the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) said the US attacked the Darkhovin nuclear power plant, which is under construction, with “several projectiles” early in the morning.

“Silence and indifference will not strengthen our trust in the IAEA. The fact that the IAEA does not take a position will not fundamentally change anything,” Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said in a presser.

“The attack on the Darkhovin facility shows that the United States has a problem with Iran's progress and development,” Baghaei added.

Washington and Tehran traded daily strikes for over a week, eventually resulting in US President Donald Trump on July 8 saying that the peace deal “is over,” merely 21 days after the memorandum of understanding was signed.

On Sunday, the IAEA said it is looking into reports of an overnight attack on Darkhovin, noting that “the facility is in the very early stages of construction and contained no nuclear material when last visited by the IAEA,” in a post on X. 

The head of the United Nations' nuclear watchdog, Rafael Grossi, reiterated calls for “military restraint in the vicinity of all nuclear-related sites,” while noting that the attack “is not believed to pose any radiological risk.” 

Iran has extensively criticized the IAEA in the past, arguing that a resolution accusing Tehran of nuclear non-compliance served as a justification for US-Israeli strikes during the 12-Day War of 2025.

Iranian officials subsequently slammed the IAEA for not issuing a condemnation of the attacks, announcing in September that it would suspend cooperation with the watchdog after the UK, France, and Germany imposed “snapback“ sanctions on Iran for failing to adhere to the aforementioned nuclear regulations.

The US has repeatedly stressed that it will not allow Tehran to enrich its uranium stockpiles.

The US-Israeli war on Iran began in late February, with Washington maintaining that the offensive was intended to eliminate Iran's nuclear capabilities and limit its missile program.