An Iranian missile strike has hit the town of Dimona in southern Israel, near to a nuclear facility. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) stated it was not aware of any damage to the nuclear research facility located about eight miles (13km) outside Dimona.
Iranian state TV reported that the strike was in retaliation for a recent attack on Iran's Natanz nuclear facility. Nonetheless, the IAEA noted that no increase in off-site radiation levels had been registered following that incident.
IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi emphasized the need for maximum military restraint, particularly around nuclear facilities. Following the strike in Dimona, Israel's ambulance service treated 40 individuals, including 37 with mild injuries and a 10-year-old boy who was in serious condition.
Separately, 68 others were treated for injuries following a different strike in the nearby town of Arad, where Israeli firefighters described a very severe scene with many wounded, necessitating an urgent medical response.
Israeli officials are conducting an investigation into how the strikes managed to penetrate the air defense systems. Reports indicated that although interceptors were launched, they failed to target the missiles effectively, resulting in direct hits on both Dimona and Arad.
The Shimon Peres Negev Nuclear Research Center, often referred to as the Dimona reactor, is recognized as holding Israel's undeclared nuclear arsenal, though the government has maintained a position of ambiguity regarding its nuclear capabilities for decades. This status makes it a significant target, heightening security and political ramifications from any attacks.
Both Israel and the United States consider the elimination of Iran's potential ability to develop a nuclear bomb as a primary objective of the ongoing conflict. In response, Iran's Atomic Energy Organization has condemned the Natanz attack as a violation of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, claiming there was no leakage of radioactive materials and that local residents were not at risk.
The situation remains tense as spectators await further developments on both sides amidst this escalating conflict.
