On 9 July 2026, Iranian provincial authorities reported that a US projectile struck the perimeter of the Bushehr nuclear power plant, the country's only operational atomic energy facility. The deputy governor of Bushehr province, Ehsan Jahanian, told state media that the strike occurred around midday local time and also hit a military base and a fishing pier in the area. No damage to the reactor or release of radiation was reported, and initial assessments indicated no casualties from this specific incident. The US military did not immediately confirm the strike, having earlier announced the completion of a wave of attacks on approximately 90 targets across Iran overnight.

Iranian officials framed the incident as a violation of the ceasefire memorandum signed in June, accusing Washington of breaking its commitments. Tehran's mission to the United Nations has previously called for the Security Council to condemn what it describes as US-Israeli aggression. From Washington, the Trump administration justified the renewed bombing campaign as a response to Iranian attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, which it says breached the truce. US Central Command stated that the strikes aimed to degrade Iran's ability to threaten maritime traffic. Israeli officials have not publicly commented on the Bushehr incident, though Iranian sources attributed the projectile to both the US and Israel.

The strike on the perimeter of a nuclear facility, even without damage to the reactor, has heightened concerns about the risk of a radiological incident. Russia's Rosatom, which is involved in the plant's operation, had previously warned that an attack on Bushehr could trigger a catastrophe comparable to Chernobyl. The broader military exchanges have caused at least 14 deaths and 78 injuries in Iran over two days, according to the Iranian health ministry. In retaliation, Iran's Revolutionary Guard launched ballistic missiles and drones at US bases in Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan, with Kuwaiti and Jordanian forces intercepting multiple projectiles. The Gulf Cooperation Council called on the UN Security Council to take a firm stance against Iranian strikes on member states and shipping.

The escalation traces back to late February 2026, when the US and Israel began a joint military operation against Iran's nuclear and missile programmes after negotiations over a new nuclear deal reached an impasse. A temporary ceasefire was brokered in June, but it unravelled this week. President Trump declared the truce over on 8 July, stating that further talks were a "waste of time." According to US officials cited by Axios, the administration believes the next phase of the conflict depends on whether Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps continues to target tankers in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran, for its part, has said it is prepared to resume dialogue but will not capitulate. No formal suspension of negotiations has been announced by either side, but the diplomatic track appears frozen as military operations intensify.