Iranian missiles hit two communities in southern Israel, damaging buildings and injuring dozens in the twin attacks just a short distance from Israel’s main nuclear research center.
The Iranian attacks late Saturday night followed an attack earlier in the day on Tehran’s main nuclear enrichment facility in Natanz. Israel denied responsibility for the attack on Natanz, about 220 km (135 mi) southeast of Tehran.
The Pentagon declined to comment on the attack on Natanz, which was hit in the first week of the war and also during the 12-day war last June. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said such attacks pose a “real threat of catastrophic disaster throughout the Middle East.”
A few hours later, Iran retaliated.
Israel’s military said it was not able to stop the missiles that struck Dimona and Arad, the largest cities near the center in Israel’s sparsely populated Negev desert. This was the first time that Iranian missiles had penetrated Israel’s air defense systems in the vicinity of a nuclear site.
The Israeli Health Ministry said at least 180 people were injured in missile attacks on the southern city of Dimona and nearby Arad.
Dimona is about 20 km (12 mi) west of the nuclear research centre, and Arad is about 35 km (22 mi) to the north.
Israel is believed to be the only Middle East country with nuclear weapons, although its leaders refuse to confirm or deny their existence. The United Nations nuclear watchdog said on Friday it had received no reports of damage or abnormal radiation levels at the Israeli facility.
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