Watch: Fireball erupts near Iran's Bushehr nuclear plant after US strike

The official said several locations in Bushehr province, including the perimeter area of the nuclear facility, were hit in US attacks.

A massive fireball was seen rising near Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant in videos shared on Thursday after Iranian officials said a US projectile struck the area surrounding the facility in southern Iran.The reported attack took place around noon in Bushehr province in southern Iran, according to Iranian state media, hours after the US military’s Central Command said it had concluded its operations against Iran. The US had not immediately confirmed the reported strike.Iran’s Press TV also reported explosions in Bushehr and Asaluyeh in southern Iran as footage shared online captured flames and smoke billowing into the sky near the nuclear site.A US projectile struck the area surrounding Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant on Thursday, Iran’s deputy governor of Bushehr province told state media.The official said several locations in Bushehr province, including the perimeter area of the nuclear facility, were hit in US attacks.An Iranian official accused the United States of carrying out an airstrike near the Bushehr nuclear power plant, with Iranian state media reporting that the strike occurred hours after US Central Command announced the end of its latest round of military operations. There was no immediate confirmation from the US military.The reported strike came amid a sharp escalation in hostilities between Washington and Tehran.Earlier on Thursday, the United States launched fresh airstrikes against Iran, prompting Tehran to retaliate by targeting US-allied countries across West Asia in an exchange of fire that threatened an interim agreement aimed at ending the conflict.Air raid sirens sounded at least three times in Bahrain, home to the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet headquarters, while Iranian missiles were also reported to have targeted Kuwait and Qatar. Sirens were also heard across Jordan, where the United States maintains troops and aircraft.According to Iran’s health ministry, two days of US airstrikes have killed at least 14 people and injured another 78. Most of the casualties were reported to be members of the armed forces.The latest exchange marked one of the most significant flare-ups since efforts began to preserve a fragile ceasefire. The renewed attacks followed comments by US President Donald Trump, who said recent Iranian attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz signalled the collapse of the ceasefire and warned that further attacks would lead to a wider escalation of the conflict.