An Iranian missile struck the southern Israeli town of Dimona on Saturday, targeting an area that houses a sensitive nuclear facility, in what Tehran described as retaliation for earlier strikes on its own nuclear site at Natanz.
The strike marked a significant escalation, with reports indicating that Iranian missiles breached Israeli air defence systems in the area around the nuclear site for the first time.
Videos circulating on social media showed large fireballs streaking across the sky before slamming into the town, underscoring the intensity of the attack.
JUST IN: 🇮🇷🇮🇱 Iranian ballistic missile strikes Dimona, Israel. pic.twitter.com/wZyzS2GGgO
— BRICS News (@BRICSinfo) March 21, 2026
Dimona is home to the Negev Nuclear Research Center, widely believed to be linked to Israel’s undeclared nuclear arsenal, though Israel has never officially acknowledged possessing nuclear weapons.
Earlier, Iran’s atomic energy authority accused the United States and Israel of attacking the Natanz enrichment complex but said there had been no leakage of radioactive material following the strike.
Confirming the impact, the Israeli military said a missile made a “direct hit” on a building in Dimona. Emergency service Magen David Adom reported that 33 people were injured across multiple locations, including a 10-year-old boy who sustained serious shrapnel wounds.
Paramedic Karmel Cohen described the aftermath as chaotic, with “extensive damage” at the scene.
The military added that interception efforts were carried out after detecting the incoming missiles, though at least one managed to evade defences and strike the town. Visuals broadcast by Israeli media showed a fast-moving object descending before impact.
Iranian state television characterised the strike as a direct response to the earlier attack on Natanz, underscoring the escalating tit-for-tat between the two sides.
Amid rising tensions, Rafael Grossi, head of the UN’s nuclear watchdog International Atomic Energy Agency, reiterated calls for military restraint, warning of a potential nuclear incident if the situation continues to escalate.
