Iran fires missiles at Israel's nuclear city Dimona, IAEA says no radiation risk detected

Iranian ballistic missiles struck the southern Israeli city of Dimona and the nearby city of Arad on March 21, 2026, injuring over 100 people and raising alarm over the safety of Israel's main nuclear research facility.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed it had received no indication of damage to the Shimon Peres Negev Nuclear Research Centre, located in Dimona, and said no abnormal radiation levels had been detected in the area.

IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi called for maximum military restraint, saying it should be observed "in particular in the vicinity of nuclear facilities."

Israel's emergency service Magen David Adom reported that a 10-year-old boy was in serious condition with shrapnel injuries, a woman was hurt by glass fragments, and 37 others were treated for mild injuries in Dimona.

In Arad, at least 88 people were wounded, including 10 in serious condition, with extensive damage reported in the city centre.

The Israeli military acknowledged it could not intercept the missiles in either city, the first time Iranian missiles had penetrated air defences around Dimona.

Firefighters confirmed that interceptors were launched but failed to hit the threats, resulting in two direct ballistic missile hits, with warheads each weighing hundreds of kilograms.

Iran said it targeted Dimona in response to an earlier strike on its Natanz nuclear enrichment facility.

The Israel Defence Forces said it was not responsible for the Natanz strike.

The IAEA said it was separately investigating the Natanz incident and found no facilities containing nuclear material had been damaged, meaning no risk of radiological release at that time.

The Shimon Peres Negev Nuclear Research Centre sits in Israel's southern Negev Desert, about 30 kilometres southeast of Beersheba.

Built in secret with French assistance, it opened in 1958.

Israel has never officially confirmed or denied possessing nuclear weapons.

The country is not a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), meaning the Dimona facility falls outside the IAEA's regular inspection mandate.

The site gained wider international attention in 1986 when former technician Mordechai Vanunu, who worked there between 1977 and 1985, revealed photographs and details of its operations, providing the first substantive evidence of Israel's nuclear programme.

Iran's parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said the fact that Iranian missiles reached Dimona (one of the most heavily defended locations in the world) signals what he called "a new phase of the battle," adding that "Israel's skies are defenseless."

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said Israel would continue its campaign against Iran for as long as necessary and that the operation would not be halted by the upcoming Passover holiday.

A strike that damages the Dimona facility would risk radiological fallout affecting not just Israel but also neighbouring countries.

The IAEA confirmed it was continuing to seek further information and would keep monitoring the situation.