Iran hits Israeli town housing nuclear facility in retaliation for Natanz strike
Iran HITS Israeli Town Housing Nuclear Facility in Retaliation for Natanz Strike
Iran launched a missile strike against the Israeli town of Dimona, which houses a nuclear facility, as reported by the Iranian government. This attack came in response to earlier strikes on Iran’s own nuclear site at Natanz. Dimona is home to a facility believed to be the sole nuclear arsenal in the Middle East, though Israel has not officially acknowledged possessing nuclear weapons.
The Israeli military confirmed a “direct missile hit on a building” in Dimona, with Magen David Adom responders treating 33 injured individuals at various locations. Among them was a 10-year-old boy in serious condition after sustaining shrapnel wounds. Paramedic Karmel Cohen described the scene as “extensive damage and chaos.”
“There was extensive damage and chaos at the scene,” said paramedic Karmel Cohen.
Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization previously accused the U.S. and Israel of attacking the Natanz enrichment complex, though it noted “no leakage of radioactive materials reported.” The Israeli army stated that interception attempts were made once the missiles were detected.
Images from Israeli media showed a missile streaking across the sky before impacting the town. Iranian state TV claimed the strike was a “response” to the earlier Natanz attack. Following that event, UN nuclear chief Rafael Grossi reiterated a “call for military restraint to avoid any risk of a nuclear accident.”
The Natanz facility, which contains underground uranium enrichment centrifuges, was already damaged during the June war last year. When asked about the strike, the Israeli military said it was “not aware of a strike.” Meanwhile, Israel reported striking a facility within a Tehran university, used by Iran’s terror regime for developing nuclear weapon components and ballistic missiles.
Three weeks of intense U.S.-Israeli bombardment have not diminished Iran’s capacity to retaliate with missile and drone strikes across the region. The United Arab Emirates reported facing aerial attacks after Iran warned it against allowing strikes from its territory on disputed islands near the strategic Hormuz strait. Iran has effectively closed the vital waterway, which carries a fifth of global crude oil trade during normal times.
Adm Brad Cooper, head of U.S. Central Command, detailed how U.S. warplanes targeted an underground facility on Iran’s coast, housing anti-ship cruise missiles and other equipment. The strike, announced on Tuesday, reportedly degraded Iran’s ability to threaten the strait. “We not only took out the facility, but also destroyed intelligence support sites and missile radar relays,” Cooper stated in a video statement.
International Reactions and Strategic Implications
Leaders of European nations, including the UK, France, Italy, and Germany, along with South Korea, Australia, the UAE, and Bahrain, criticized Iran’s “de facto closure of the strait of Hormuz.” They expressed willingness to support efforts ensuring safe passage through the waterway. President Donald Trump, meanwhile, called NATO allies “cowards” and urged them to secure the strait.
Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, clarified that Tehran had only restricted vessels from nations involved in attacks against Iran. The country pledged to assist ships from other countries that remained neutral in the conflict. The standoff has driven crude oil prices to unprecedented levels, with a barrel of North Sea Brent crude exceeding $105 (£79) after rising over 50% in a month.
Analysts highlight Iran’s resilience despite losing key leaders, noting that its strike capabilities have endured better than anticipated. Neil Quilliam of Chatham House remarked, “They’re showing a lot of resilience that we didn’t perhaps expect, that the U.S. didn’t expect, when it took this on,” emphasizing Iran’s deep political and strategic roots.
Religious Observances Amid Conflict
As the war entered its fourth week, Iran observed the end of Ramadan. Traditionally, the supreme leader leads Eid al-Fitr prayers, but Mojtaba Khamenei, who assumed power this month after his father, Ali Khamenei, was killed, has stayed out of public view. Instead, the head of the judiciary, Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei, led prayers at Imam Khomeini Grand Mosque in central Tehran. Farid, a local resident, noted, “The atmosphere of the new year was spreading through the city.”