Iran carried out a missile strike on Saturday aimed at the Dimona nuclear facility in southern Israel, marking a sharp escalation in its confrontation with Israel following earlier attacks on its own nuclear infrastructure.
Israeli authorities confirmed that an Iranian missile hit a building in the city, leaving dozens injured as emergency teams worked to manage the aftermath.
Dimona is widely regarded as the center of Israel’s nuclear program, believed to be linked to plutonium production. The facility was established in the 1960s with assistance from France.
Tehran, however, insisted that a prior strike by the United States and Israel on its Natanz nuclear site did not trigger any radioactive leakage, noting that preventive safety measures had been implemented.
Iran’s atomic energy officials condemned the attack on the uranium enrichment facility in Isfahan province, describing it as a breach of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
In a further sign of intensifying hostilities, Iran claimed its Revolutionary Guard forces shot down a third Israeli F-16 fighter jet over central Iran.
The Israeli military acknowledged that one of its aircraft came under fire from a surface-to-air missile during an operation over Iranian territory but maintained that the jet was unharmed and completed its mission successfully.
Israel’s Chief of Staff, Eyal Zamir, also accused Iran of firing a long-range ballistic missile with a range of about 4,000 kilometers toward a U.S. target at Diego Garcia island.
“These missiles are not intended to strike Israel. Their range reaches European capitals—Berlin, Paris, and Rome are all within direct threat range.”
As the conflict stretches into its fourth week, reports from Israel’s public broadcaster suggest that Yemen’s Houthi fighters may soon enter the war, allegedly encouraged by Iran and Hezbollah.
