Tensions in the Middle East escalated further after missile strikes were reported in and around Dimona, home to Israel’s key nuclear research facility, raising global concern over the safety of sensitive installations.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said it had received no indication of damage to the Shimon Peres Negev Nuclear Research Center itself. The UN nuclear watchdog also confirmed that no abnormal radiation levels had been detected in the area.
IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi stated that the agency is closely monitoring developments, urging “maximum military restraint,” particularly in areas surrounding nuclear facilities.
According to reports from the ground, at least three separate impact sites were identified across Dimona. Al Jazeera correspondent Nour Odeh, reporting from Ramallah, said one three-storey building had completely collapsed, while multiple fires broke out following the strikes.
Verified footage showed a missile hitting the city, triggering a large explosion. As a precaution, schools in the nearby Ramat Negev Regional Council were closed for the following day.
The developments come amid a sharp escalation between Israel and Iran. Earlier on Saturday, the Israeli military said it had carried out a strike on a research and development facility at Tehran’s Malek Ashtar University, alleging it was involved in the development of nuclear weapons components and ballistic missiles.
The Israeli military reiterated its stance, saying it “will not allow the Iranian regime to acquire nuclear weapons.”
Iran, meanwhile, claimed that both the United States and Israel had targeted its Natanz uranium enrichment facility earlier in the day, but reported no radioactive leakage. An unnamed Israeli official, however, denied responsibility for the Natanz strike, and no formal statement has been issued by the Israeli military.
Dimona has long been central to Israel’s nuclear programme. The research centre, established in 1958 with French assistance, has remained a highly sensitive and closely guarded facility.
