In a major escalation of the four-week conflict, Iranian ballistic missiles struck the southern Israeli cities of Dimona and Arad on Saturday, March 21, 2026. The Israeli Ministry of Health reported that at least 180 people were wounded in the attacks, which targeted the area surrounding the Shimon Peres Negev Nuclear Research Center. This strike followed an earlier attack on Iran’s Natanz nuclear enrichment complex, which Tehran attributed to U.S. and Israeli forces. While the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed no damage to the nuclear reactor or abnormal radiation levels, the incident marks a dangerous shift toward targeting sensitive nuclear infrastructure.
Iran strikes Dimona, near Israel’s nuclear site, hours after a strike on Iran’s Natanz facility. And US President Donald Trump sends Iran an ultimatum.
Al Jazeera’s @MarahRayan has the latest developments in the war on Iran. pic.twitter.com/Fptj9vCCEY
— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) March 22, 2026
In Arad, 116 people were injured, seven of them seriously, amid reports of extensive damage to the city center. In Dimona, 64 people were wounded, including a 10-year-old boy, as multiple residential buildings were destroyed by missiles carrying warheads weighing hundreds of kilograms. The Israeli military admitted that air defense systems failed to intercept several of the incoming projectiles. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the evening as “difficult” but vowed that strikes against Iran would continue. According to Iranian state media, U.S.-Israeli operations since February 28 have resulted in over 1,500 deaths in Iran, including at least 200 children.
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