Iranian missile strikes near Israel's key nuclear research site Dimona in a tit-for-tat escalation

According to MDA, its personnel treated over three dozen individuals, including victims suffering from shrapnel-related injuries.

A missile strike on a residential area in the city of Dimona, home to Israel’s primary nuclear research center, resulted in at least 37 people requiring urgent medical attention on Saturday evening (local time), according to Magen David Adom (MDA), Israel’s national emergency medical service. The incident occurred as Iran stated it was targeting Israel’s nuclear program in response to a prior strike on its nuclear enrichment facility in Natanz.

According to MDA, its personnel treated over three dozen individuals, including victims suffering from shrapnel-related injuries.

In its tweet, MDA said, "Update from southern Israel: Over 40 people treated by Magen David Adom after ballistic missile hits residential area."

The injured included a 10-year-old boy who, according to the EMS, sustained shrapnel wounds and was in moderate condition.

MDA added that individuals hurt while rushing to shelters, as well as those experiencing heightened anxiety due to the strike, were also given urgent medical care.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog, acknowledged reports of the projectile incident in Dimona but said there was no indication of damage to the Negev Nuclear Research Center. It further noted that local authorities had detected no abnormal radiation levels and that the situation was being closely monitored.

The nuclear research centre in Dimona began operations in 1958. Although Israel is widely believed to possess nuclear weapons, its leadership has neither confirmed nor denied these claims.

The strike on the southern desert city occurred hours after Iranian state media reported that US-Israeli forces had targeted the Shahid Ahmadi-Roshan Natanz enrichment complex on Saturday morning. No radioactive leakage was detected, and residents in the surrounding areas were not considered at risk.

Israel’s military denied any involvement in the Natanz strike. Meanwhile, IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi stated that the agency was examining the reported incident.

Russia’s Foreign Ministry condemned the alleged airstrike on the Natanz facility, warning that such actions carry a “real risk of a catastrophic disaster across the Middle East.”

The Natanz site had previously been targeted during the first week of the ongoing conflict and again during the 12-day war in June last year.

Major General Seyed Majid Moosavi, commander of Iran’s IRGC Aerospace Force, stated on Saturday (local time) that Iran has established control over the skies of the occupied territories. He added that forthcoming waves of attacks would leave US and Israeli forces “dumbfounded.”

In a post on X, Moosavi said: “From this moment, I declare the missile dominance of Iran’s sons over the skies of the occupied territories. The new tactics and launch systems employed in the upcoming waves will leave the American-Zionist commanders dumbfounded. Tonight, the skies over the south of the occupied territories will remain illuminated for hours.”

Meanwhile, Iran’s Parliament Speaker, MB Ghalibaf, said that Israeli airspace is effectively defenceless. In a post on X, he wrote: “If the Israeli regime fails to intercept the missiles in the highly protected Dimona area, it is operationally a sign of entering a new phase of the battle: Israel’s skies are defenseless. As a result, it seems the time has come to implement the next pre-designed plans. Happy Nowruz to the Iranian nation.”