At least 180 wounded in Iranian missile strikes on Dimona and Arad, escalating conflict around sensitive nuclear facilities in Israel
At least 180 people have been wounded following Iranian missile strikes on southern Israel, including the city of Dimona—home to the country’s main nuclear facility—and nearby Arad, in one of the most significant escalations since the United States-Israel war on Iran began.
According to Israel’s Ministry of Health, 116 people were injured in Arad, including seven in serious condition, with extensive damage reported in the city centre. In Dimona, 64 people were wounded, one seriously, with multiple shrapnel injuries reported after several residential buildings were destroyed. Among the injured was a 10-year-old boy.
Iranian state television described Saturday’s हमला as a “response” to an earlier strike on Iran’s Natanz nuclear enrichment complex, signalling a new phase of reciprocal targeting as the conflict enters its fourth week.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the development as a “difficult” evening for the country and vowed continued military action against Iran, where US-Israeli strikes since February 28 have reportedly killed more than 1,500 people, including at least 200 children, according to Iranian state media.
An Israeli military spokesman said air defence systems were activated but failed to intercept some incoming missiles despite them not being “special or unfamiliar.”
Firefighters confirmed the impact of the হামলা, stating: “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.”
Reporting from Ramallah, Al Jazeera correspondent Nour Odeh said three separate impact sites were identified in Dimona, including the collapse of a three-storey building and multiple fires breaking out across the المدينة.
The International Atomic Energy Agency said it had received no indication of damage to the Shimon Peres Negev Nuclear Research Center and that no abnormal radiation levels had been detected.
The agency’s Director General, Rafael Grossi, urged restraint, warning that “maximum military restraint should be observed, in particular in the vicinity of nuclear facilities.”
Israel’s Health Ministry also reported that at least 4,564 people have been taken to hospitals since the war began, with 124 currently hospitalised, including one in critical condition and 13 in serious condition.
Iran said earlier that the US and Israel had targeted its Natanz enrichment facility, though it reported no radioactive leakage. However, an unnamed Israeli official quoted by The Associated Press denied Israel’s involvement in the strike, and the Israeli military has yet to issue a comprehensive statement.
Separately, the Israeli military said it struck a research and development facility at Malek Ashtar University in Tehran, alleging it was used to develop components for nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles.
“The military will not allow the Iranian regime to acquire nuclear weapons,” it said.
Analysts say the latest escalation reflects a deliberate strategy by Tehran. Abas Aslani, a senior fellow at the Centre for Middle East Strategic Studies in Tehran, told Al Jazeera that Iran is pursuing a calculated response doctrine.
“Tehran wants to reduce the gap between words and actions,” he said, adding that Iran’s approach is aimed at reinforcing deterrence and establishing a new long-term security balance, rather than merely forcing a ceasefire.
