Iranian Ballistic Missiles Slam Into Towns Near Israel’s Nuclear Reactor, Wounding Nearly 100
The U.S.-Israeli war on Iran has entered terrifying new territory. On Saturday, March 21, Iranian ballistic missiles penetrated Israel’s air defense systems and struck the towns of Dimona and Arad in the Negev desert — both located dangerously close to Israel’s most closely guarded secret: the Shimon Peres Negev Nuclear Research Center.
Nearly 100 people were wounded in the attacks, including a 10-year-old boy in Dimona. Israeli firefighters confirmed that interceptors were launched but failed to hit the incoming threats, resulting in direct hits by warheads weighing hundreds of kilograms.
Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf declared the strikes marked “a new phase of the conflict,” adding ominously: “If Israel is unable to intercept missiles in the heavily protected Dimona area, it is, operationally, a sign of entering a new phase. Israel’s skies are defenseless.”
Tit-for-Tat Nuclear Strikes: Natanz and Dimona Under Fire on the Same Day
The Dimona strikes came as direct retaliation. Hours earlier, Iranian media confirmed that U.S.-Israeli forces had attacked the Shahid Ahmadi-Roshan enrichment complex at Natanz — Iran’s most critical nuclear facility. Iran’s atomic energy organization said technical experts found no radioactive leaks, and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed it was investigating.
The IAEA also confirmed that no abnormal radiation levels were detected around Dimona after the Iranian strikes. But the message from both sides was unmistakable: nuclear facilities are now fair game.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded with a defiant statement: “We are determined to continue striking our enemies on all fronts.” Defense Minister Israel Katz went further, saying Israel planned to “increase significantly” its strikes in the coming days and was “determined to behead its commanders and thwart its strategic capabilities.”
Israeli military spokesman Effie Defrin acknowledged the defense failure but downplayed the threat: “The air defense systems operated but did not intercept the missile. We will investigate the incident and learn from it.”
Iran Fires Long-Range Missiles at Diego Garcia — A First Beyond the Middle East
In a development that sent shockwaves through Western capitals, Iran launched two 4,000-kilometer-range ballistic missiles at the U.S.-UK military base at Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean. Israeli military chief Eyal Zamir confirmed the attack and delivered a chilling warning:
“These missiles are not intended to strike Israel. Their range reaches European capitals — Berlin, Paris, and Rome are all within direct threat range.”
Both missiles were defeated — one failed in flight, and a U.S. warship fired an SM-3 interceptor at the other — but the strike represented a dramatic escalation. It was the first time in the conflict that Iran fired weapons beyond the Middle East, demonstrating a capability that has NATO capitals on edge.
The UK confirmed the attack occurred before London had even formally authorized the U.S. to use British bases for counter-strikes on Iranian missile sites.
Trump Talks ‘Winding Down’ While Sending 2,000 More Marines
President Donald Trump added to the confusion surrounding U.S. strategy by posting on Truth Social that Washington was “getting very close to meeting our objectives” and considering “winding down” military efforts against Iran.
“The Hormuz Strait will have to be guarded and policed, as necessary, by other Nations who use it — The United States does not!” Trump declared, calling on allies to take over security of the critical waterway.
But the actions on the ground told a different story. More than 2,000 U.S. Marines from the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit were simultaneously heading to the Middle East, along with heavy landing craft — equipment typically associated with amphibious operations, not a wind-down.
Reuters reported that the war “seems to be slipping out of Trump’s hands,” with global energy prices surging, the U.S. increasingly isolated from allies, and American voters growing anxious about escalation.
Trump had called NATO allies “cowards” for not helping reopen the Strait of Hormuz. In response, Germany and more than 20 allies signed a joint statement condemning Iran’s attacks on commercial vessels and pledging to contribute to “appropriate efforts” to secure shipping — but most remain reluctant to join a war they were never consulted about.
Energy Crisis Deepens: Oil Up 50%, Gas Prices Soaring
The economic fallout continues to intensify. Oil prices have surged roughly 50% since the conflict began on February 28, with crude hitting $119 per barrel before pulling back slightly. European natural gas prices jumped as much as 35% in a single week after Israel struck Iran’s South Pars gas field and Iran retaliated by attacking energy infrastructure across the Gulf.
Iran struck at Kuwait’s Mina Al-Ahmadi refinery — the country’s largest — and launched drones at U.S. bases in the UAE and Kuwait. The UAE reported intercepting 3 ballistic missiles and 8 UAVs launched from Iran on Saturday alone.
Saudi Arabia expelled Iran’s military attaché and four other embassy staff, declaring them persona non grata after repeated Iranian attacks on Gulf states.
The International Energy Agency (IEA) has taken the extraordinary step of urging people to work from home and avoid air travel as part of emergency measures to ease what it called a potential global fuel crisis.
In a desperate bid to cool prices, the Trump administration lifted sanctions on Iranian crude oil stranded at sea. But Iran’s Oil Ministry called it a bluff, saying Tehran has “essentially no crude oil left in floating storage” — calling the move “solely intended to reassure buyers and manage the market psychologically.”
Hezbollah Opens the Northern Front
Adding to Israel’s multi-front challenge, the Iran-backed Lebanese Hezbollah militia has continued attacks in support of Tehran since joining the conflict on March 2. Israel responded with fresh strikes on Beirut on Saturday, saying it was targeting Hezbollah positions.
Reports also emerged that Iran had struck a passenger terminal in the southern port of Bushehr and an empty passenger ship at nearby Kharg Island — the loading point for nearly all of Iran’s oil exports and a potential target if Washington decides to use ground troops to seize it.
Iranian media reported three members of a family were killed in an Israeli strike on a residential building in the city of Ramsar, while air raid sirens sent millions of Israelis to shelters throughout the day.
Week Four: No End in Sight
As Operation Epic Fury enters its fourth week, the conflict has killed more than 2,000 people in Iran since February 28. The war has expanded far beyond its original scope — from a targeted campaign against Iran’s missile and nuclear capabilities to a sprawling regional conflict touching energy markets, Gulf states, Lebanon, and now the Indian Ocean.
The American Enterprise Institute estimated that U.S. force deployments have grown substantially over the past ten days, with refined numbers showing an expanding military footprint that contradicts talk of winding down.
Iran’s supreme leader’s son, Mojtaba Khamenei, is reportedly seriously wounded, according to U.S. officials — though Iran has neither confirmed nor denied this. Iranian leaders have also warned they will continue to impede international shipping around the Strait of Hormuz even after the war ends.
For now, both sides appear locked in an escalatory spiral with no off-ramp in sight. The nuclear dimension — with both Natanz and Dimona now having come under fire — has raised the stakes to levels not seen since the Cold War.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as the situation evolves.