A massive Iranian missile barrage targeting southern Israel late Saturday and early Sunday left at least 180 people injured in towns near the Shimon Peres Negev Nuclear Research Center. The strikes mark a significant breach of Israel’s multi-layered aerial defence systems and represent one of the most direct threats to the sensitive Dimona region in recent history.
The Israeli Ministry of Health confirmed Sunday that medical teams treated 180 victims for injuries ranging from shrapnel wounds to trauma from structural collapses. The Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba declared a mass-casualty incident to manage the influx of patients. Most injuries were recorded in the desert towns of Arad and Dimona, where several residential buildings sustained direct hits. Among those severely wounded is a 10-year-old boy currently in critical condition.
Despite the proximity of the explosions to the nuclear facility, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported no damage to the site. "The IAEA can confirm that there has been no damage to Israel’s nuclear sites," the agency stated in an official briefing, adding that radiation monitoring remains at baseline levels. The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) have launched a high-level technical inquiry into why the Arrow and David’s Sling interceptors failed to neutralise the projectiles over such a strategic zone.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed responsibility for the attack, describing it as a "crushing response" to an earlier strike on Iran’s Natanz enrichment plant. Iranian state media warned that any further Israeli retaliation would meet a "more severe" consequence. In a televised address, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed that the "unprecedented aggression" would not go unanswered, stating, "Those who harm us, we will harm them back."
International leaders have called for immediate restraint to prevent a full-scale regional war. U.S. officials described the situation as "extremely volatile," noting that the reach of recent Iranian strikes has expanded to include Western interests across the Middle East. As of Sunday evening, the IDF remains on high alert, with additional Iron Dome batteries being deployed to southern districts.