Iran Strikes Dimona and Arad in Southern Israel; Natanz Nuclear Site Hit in US-Israeli Attack
Iranian missiles struck the Israeli cities of Dimona and Arad in the south, injuring over 100 people, as the US and Israel targeted Iran's Natanz nuclear facility — a significant escalation on both sides.
Sercan Roni
Iran dramatically escalated its military campaign on Saturday, firing missiles that broke through Israeli air defenses and struck the southern Israeli cities of Dimona and Arad — the first time in the war that Iran has successfully hit populated areas in Israel's south. More than 100 people were wounded in the two strikes, Israeli emergency services confirmed.
The IRGC said it had deliberately targeted Israeli military installations and security centers in Arad, Dimona, Eilat, Beersheba and Kiryat Gat. Iranian state television claimed more than 200 people were killed in the attacks; Israel reported no deaths. The Israeli emergency service Magen David Adom said 33 people were taken to hospital from the Arad strike alone, including four with serious injuries.
The strike on Dimona carried particular symbolic weight. The city is home to Israel's Negev Nuclear Research Center, the country's only nuclear facility. The IAEA said it was aware of reports of a missile impact in Dimona and confirmed there were no indications of damage to the nuclear research center. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he was "strengthening emergency and rescue forces" in the field.
In response, the US and Israel targeted Iran's Natanz nuclear site on Saturday. Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation condemned the strikes as "criminal attacks," and Tehran informed the International Atomic Energy Agency of the incident. The IRGC separately claimed its air defenses had shot down an Israeli fighter jet in Iranian airspace — the third such claim of the war. Israel did not confirm the incident.
Israel also launched fresh strikes on Tehran on Sunday, with explosions reported in the east of the city. The Israeli army simultaneously announced new strikes in Lebanon, targeting Hezbollah infrastructure. Lebanon's president, Joseph Aoun, condemned Israeli strikes on bridges in southern Lebanon, calling them "unjustified" and warning they were "a prelude to a ground invasion."
According to ACLED, the conflict has now produced nearly 2,300 distinct combat events across at least 29 of Iran's 31 provinces since February 28, with Tehran enduring the heaviest bombardments.
