Iran missiles hit Dimona, Arad, wounding 180
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- Iran fired ballistic missiles at the Israeli towns of Dimona and Arad, causing at least 180 injuries—116 in Arad (including seven serious) and 64 in Dimona (one serious)—and destroying residential buildings.
- Iranian state television framed the strikes as a retaliation for an earlier attack on Iran’s Natanz nuclear enrichment complex.
- Israel’s Health Ministry reported the casualty figures and noted that a 10‑year‑old boy was among the wounded.
- Benjamin Netanyahu called the evening “difficult” for Israel and pledged continued strikes against Iran.
- Israeli military said air‑defence systems were activated but failed to intercept some missiles, resulting in two direct hits by ballistic warheads weighing hundreds of kilograms.
- International Atomic Energy Agency said it had no indication of damage to the Shimon Peres Negev Nuclear Research Center in Dimona and detected no abnormal radiation, urging maximum military restraint near nuclear facilities.
- Al Jazeera documented three impact sites across Dimona, a three‑storey building collapse, fires, and verified video of a missile strike.
Why it matters: The strikes bring civilian casualties near Israel’s main nuclear site, prompting Israeli vows of further retaliation and an IAEA warning of restraint, thereby heightening the immediate risk of broader regional escalation across the region and drawing international attention to nuclear facility safety.
