Israeli emergency responders reported that more than 100 people were injured following Iranian missile strikes on the southern cities of Dimona and Arad, marking one of the most significant escalations since the outbreak of the US-Israel war on Iran.
Recall that Dimona is home to Israel’s primary nuclear facility.
Iranian state television described Saturday’s strikes as a “response” to what it claimed was an earlier strike on the Natanz nuclear enrichment complex, signaling a sharp intensification in reciprocal attacks as the conflict enters its fourth week.
According to Israeli emergency services, at least 88 individuals were injured in Arad, including 10 in serious condition.
Authorities also reported widespread destruction in the city centre.
In Dimona, 39 people were wounded, among them a 10-year-old boy said by paramedics to be in critical condition due to multiple shrapnel injuries. Several residential buildings in the area were reportedly destroyed.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the situation as a “difficult” evening for the country, reiterating Israel’s commitment to continue its offensive against Iran. Iranian state media claims that more than 1,500 people, including over 200 children, have been killed since US-Israeli operations began on February 28.
An Israeli military spokesperson said air defence systems were activated during the assault but failed to intercept some of the incoming missiles, despite them not being “special or unfamiliar.”
“In both Dimona and Arad, interceptors were launched that failed to hit the threats, resulting in two direct hits by ballistic missiles with warheads weighing hundreds of kilograms”, firefighters said.
The International Atomic Energy Agency stated that there were no indications of damage to the Shimon Peres Negev Nuclear Research Center, and confirmed that no abnormal radiation levels had been detected. The agency added that it is closely observing developments, with Director General Rafael Grossi urging that “maximum military restraint should be observed, in particular in the vicinity of nuclear facilities”.
Reporting from Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, Nour Odeh said three separate impact locations were identified in Dimona. One three-storey structure collapsed entirely, while multiple fires broke out across the المدينة.
Verified footage showed a missile striking the city, followed by a large explosion. In response to the attacks, schools in the Ramat Negev Regional Council area were closed for the following day.
Earlier on Saturday, the Israeli military announced it had targeted a research and development facility at Malek Ashtar University in Tehran, alleging it was used for developing components related to nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles.
The military stated it “will not allow the Iranian regime to acquire nuclear weapons”.
Iran, for its part, said that the United States and Israel had struck its Natanz enrichment site earlier in the day, though it reported no radioactive leakage.
An unnamed Israeli official, speaking to the Associated Press, denied Israeli involvement in the Natanz attack, while the military has yet to issue a comprehensive statement.
Dimona has long been central to Israel’s nuclear programme. Its research centre, constructed secretly with French support, began operations in 1958. Israel is widely believed to have developed nuclear weapons by the late 1960s, though it has maintained a longstanding policy of ambiguity, neither confirming nor denying their existence as part of a quiet understanding with Washington.
Abas Aslani, a senior fellow at the Centre for Middle East Strategic Studies in Tehran, told Al Jazeera that Iran’s approach reflects a strategy of proportional retaliation aimed at restoring deterrence.
“Tehran wants to reduce the gap between words and actions,” he said, adding that Iran’s goal was to make its threats credible enough to underpin a new long-term security arrangement, not to simply force a ceasefire, but establish deterrence.
