An Iranian missile struck the Israeli town of Dimona, home to a nuclear facility, in what Iran described as retaliation for strikes on its Natanz nuclear site. The attack injured 33 people, including a 10-year-old boy in serious condition, according to Israeli first responders.
Dimona Nuclear Facility Hit
Dimona hosts a facility widely believed to possess the Middle East’s sole nuclear arsenal, though Israel has never officially confirmed this. Iranian state TV stated the attack was a “response” to the earlier strike on Natanz.
Natanz Attack and Regional Tensions
Iran’s atomic energy organisation accused the US and Israel of hitting the Natanz enrichment complex, but reported “no leakage of radioactive materials.” The Natanz facility houses underground centrifuges used to enrich uranium for Iran’s nuclear program and was previously damaged in June of last year.
The Israeli military acknowledged a “direct missile hit on a building” in Dimona and stated “interception attempts were carried out” after the missiles were detected. Images from Israeli media showed an object falling from the sky before impacting the town. The Israeli military said it was “not aware of a strike” on Natanz.
Escalating Conflict and Strait of Hormuz
In a separate action, the Israeli military said it struck a facility within a Tehran university “utilised by the Iranian terror regime’s military industries and ballistic missiles array to develop nuclear weapon components and weapons.” Three weeks of heavy US-Israeli bombardment have not significantly reduced Iran’s ability to retaliate with missile and drone attacks.
The United Arab Emirates also reported facing aerial attacks after Iran warned against allowing attacks from its territory on disputed islands near the strategic strait of Hormuz. Iran has restricted passage through the vital waterway, which handles approximately a fifth of global crude oil trade.
Adm. Brad Cooper, head of US Central Command, said US warplanes bombed an underground facility on Iran’s coast storing anti-ship cruise missiles and related equipment, “degrading” Iran’s ability to threaten the strait. He added that intelligence support sites and missile radar relays used to monitor ship movements were also destroyed.
International Response and Economic Impact
Leaders from several European countries, along with South Korea, Australia, the UAE, and Bahrain, condemned the “de facto closure of the strait of Hormuz” and expressed readiness to ensure safe passage. Donald Trump has urged NATO allies to secure the strait, calling them “cowards.”
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated that Tehran has only imposed restrictions on vessels from countries involved in attacks against Iran and would assist others that remain neutral. The standoff in the strait has caused crude oil prices to surge, with North Sea Brent crude rising over 50% in the past month to over $105 a barrel.
Iran’s Resilience and Leadership Transition
Analysts suggest Iran’s government has demonstrated resilience and a more durable strike capacity than anticipated. Neil Quilliam of Chatham House noted Iran’s “deep roots.”
Tehran marked the end of Ramadan as the conflict entered its fourth week. Mojtaba Khamenei, who recently came to power after the death of his father, Ali Khamenei, has remained out of public view. Instead, the head of the judiciary, Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei, led prayers at central Tehran’s Imam Khomeini grand mosque.
Residents of Tehran expressed mixed feelings, with some experiencing joy at the end of Ramadan and others expressing concern over the ongoing conflict. One resident, Shiva, a 31-year-old painter, described a pervasive sense of “uncertainty.”
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