LIVE | West Asia war: Iran hits Israeli nuclear town in 'response’ to Natanz strike; IDF chief says conflict to last weeks

Israel’s military said an Iranian missile struck Dimona, home to a nuclear facility, as the IDF chief said Israel is only at the halfway point in the war.

Summary

A fourth week of fighting in West Asia has seen the United States and Israel trade fire with Iran, with strikes expanding to military, diplomatic and energy targets across the Gulf.

Triggered by the February 28 US-Israeli strikes, the conflict has spread across the region, roiling energy markets and pushing up oil prices as Tehran blockades the Strait of Hormuz, while Israel has intensified attacks on Lebanon with a ground invasion targeting Hezbollah.

TOP DEVELOPMENTS

Iran hits Israeli nuclear town: Israel’s military said an Iranian missile struck Dimona, home to a nuclear facility. Iranian state TV called it a “response” to an earlier strike on its Natanz nuclear site.

Iran’s nuclear site hit: Iran’s atomic energy body said US-Israeli strikes hit the Natanz facility, previously used for uranium enrichment, but reported “no leakage of radioactive materials.”

Hormuz threat ‘degraded’: The US military said bunker-busting bombs hit an underground Iranian coastal facility this week, adding Iran’s ability to threaten navigation around the Strait of Hormuz “is degraded as a result.”

Nations ‘ready’ to secure Hormuz: Twenty-two countries condemned Iran’s attacks on Gulf shipping and the Hormuz blockade, expressing “readiness to contribute to appropriate efforts” to ensure safe passage. The US was not among the signatories.

Diego Garcia targeted: Iran “unsuccessfully” tried to hit the UK-US Diego Garcia base, a UK official said, after US media reported that Tehran fired two ballistic missiles at the base.

Israel vows intensification: Defence Minister Israel Katz warned the US and Israel would intensify strikes on Iran from Sunday.

UN nuclear watchdog urges 'maximum military restraint' after attack on Israeli nuclear town

The UN nuclear watchdog on Saturday issued a call for "maximum military restraint" after Israel said an Iranian missile struck the southern town of Dimona, home to a nuclear facility.

"The IAEA is aware of reports of an incident in the city of Dimona, Israel, involving a missile impact and has not received any indication of damage to the nuclear research center Negev," the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said in a post on X.

"Information from regional States indicates that no abnormal radiation levels have been detected," it added.

Earlier in the day, IAEA head Rafael Grossi had repeated a "call for military restraint to avoid any risk of a nuclear accident", the agency posted on X following attack on Iran's Natanz nuclear facility.

"The IAEA has been informed by Iran that the Natanz nuclear site was attacked today. No increase in off-site radiation levels reported," it added. 

Iran says there is no crude oil stranded at sea for US to lift sanctions on

The US announcement that it will lift sanctions on Iranian crude stranded at sea is an attempt to manipulate the market, since there is no such oil, Iran’s Oil Ministry spokesperson, Saman Ghodousi told Iran’s state media.

“At present, Iran essentially has no crude oil left in floating storage or any surplus available for supply to other international markets, and the US Treasury Secretary’s remarks are solely intended to reassure buyers and manage the market psychologically,” he said late Friday.

Israel: Iran used two-stage intercontinental missile against Diego Garcia

Iran targeted Diego Garcia Island with a two-stage intercontinental ballistic missile, Israel’s military said. This refers to missile with at least two rocket engines, one allowing the missile to reach space, and the other propels it to its target, at a range of up to 4,000 kilometers (2,500 miles).

“These missiles are not intended to strike Israel. Their range extends to the capitals of Europe — Berlin, Paris, and Rome are all within direct threat range,” Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir said on Saturday evening.

Israel says struck Tehran facility used for making nuclear components

The Israeli military said Saturday that its forces had struck a facility embedded within a Tehran university that was allegedly being used to develop components for nuclear weapons.

"The Malek-Ashtar University facility was utilised by the Iranian terror regime's military industries and ballistic missiles array to develop nuclear weapon components and weapons," the military said.

"The Malek-Ashtar University was subordinate to the Iranian Defence Ministry, and is sanctioned internationally due to its activities and efforts over the years to advance the Iranian nuclear program and to develop ballistic missiles," the military added.

G7 demands 'immediate and unconditional' halt to Iran attacks

Top envoys for the Group of Seven advanced economies and the European Union on Saturday urged an "immediate and unconditional" end to Iran attacks against allies in the Middle East.

"We call for the immediate and unconditional cessation of all attacks by the Iranian regime," the foreign ministers for Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States as well as the EU foreign policy chief said in a joint statement.

Israel-Iran war expected to last several more weeks, IDF chief says

Israel is only at the halfway point in the war with Iran, the military’s chief of staff said on Saturday, as the country entered the fourth week of war against Iran.

“Dear citizens of Israel — we are at the midway point, but the direction is clear,” Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir said.

“In about a week, on Passover, the Festival of Freedom, we will continue to fight for our freedom and our future.”

Wrap | Iran attacks on Israeli nuclear town a 'response' to strike on Natanz site

Iranian state TV said a missile attack on the Israeli town of Dimona, home to a nuclear facility, was a "response" to an earlier strike on its own nuclear site at Natanz.

Iran's atomic energy organisation had said earlier in the day that the "Natanz enrichment complex was targeted this morning", though there was "no leakage of radioactive materials reported", according to a statement carried by local media.

The missile strike in Dimona wounded at least 39 people, according to Israeli emergency services.

Wrap | US military says Iran threat to Hormuz 'degraded'

The US military said on Saturday that Iran's ability to threaten the Strait of Hormuz has been "degraded" by the bombing this week of an underground facility where it stored cruise missiles and other weaponry.

With Iran mostly closing off the Strait, the gateway for one-fifth of the world's oil, the US military has brought out some of the heaviest bombs in its arsenal to penetrate adjacent missile sites.

Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of US Central Command (CENTCOM), said it had dropped multiple 5,000-pound bombs on a "hardened" underground facility located along Iran's coast that it used to store anti-ship cruise missiles, mobile missile launchers and other equipment.

"We not only took out the facility, but also destroyed intelligence support sites and missile radar relays that were used to monitor ship movements," Cooper said in video message posted on X.

"Iran's ability to threaten freedom of navigation in and around the Strait of Hormuz is degraded as a result, and we will not stop pursuing these targets," he added.

Wrap | US, Israel attack Iran's Natanz nuclear site

According to Iran's atomic energy organisation, the US and Israel targeted a plant at Natanz in Isfahan province, which hosts underground centrifuges to enrich uranium for Iran's disputed nuclear programme and was already damaged in last year's June war.

"Following the criminal attacks by the United States and the usurping Zionist regime against our country, the... Natanz enrichment complex was targeted this morning," the agency said, in a statement carried by the Tasnim news agency.

No leakage of nuclear materials was reported, it added.