Tensions in the Middle East have reached a critical point after Iran officially accused the US armed forces of carrying out a missile attack on the under-construction Darkhovin nuclear power plant, located in the southwestern province of Khuzestan. In parallel with the military clash, neighboring Iraq has undertaken a large-scale economic maneuver to protect its commercial interests, having begun to transport huge quantities of fuel oil and petroleum products overland through Syria, completely bypassing the blocked Strait of Hormuz.
Missile strike on the “Darkhovin“ nuclear complex
According to an official statement by the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), disseminated by state media, American shells hit the construction site of the 300-megawatt light water reactor. The agency described the incident as a “barbaric act and a gross violation of international law“, since the facility is intended for peaceful purposes and is under international guarantees. There are currently no reports of material damage or casualties at the site.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed that it is investigating reports of a midnight strike in the area. The UN agency reassured that the plant is in the very early stages of construction and that no nuclear material was stored there during the inspectors' last visit, ruling out an immediate radiation risk. The attack comes against the backdrop of the eighth consecutive night of intensified airstrikes by the US Central Command (CENTCOM) against Iranian military and critical infrastructure.
Iraqi Oil Response: A Land Corridor Through the Desert
As Iran tightens control and imposes a de facto blockade of shipping in the Strait of Hormuz for vessels linked to the US and Israel, Iraq is facing economic disaster. Since over 90% of Baghdad's state revenues depend on crude oil and fuel exports through the Persian Gulf, the country has urgently begun to redirect its flows to the west.
According to data from the analytical company Vortexa and reports from Bloomberg, Iraq has mobilized thousands of tankers that cross the desert through Syria and Jordan around the clock. Over the past week, the land corridor has allowed the transportation of over 1 million tons of fuel oil and other refined products to Syrian ports on the Mediterranean Sea (mainly Baniyas), from where they are loaded onto tankers for the international market. In this way, Baghdad has successfully bypassed the dangerous sea crossing, providing vital revenues for its treasury in the face of a global energy crisis and rising Brent oil prices.