IRAN TARGETS ISRAELI NUCLEAR FACILITY
UK-US base also targeted; Iran's Natanz nuclear site hit
An Israeli policeman walks in a kindergarten hit by fragments of an Iranian missile Saturday in Rishon LeZion, Israel.
MIDDLE EAST
CAIRO — Iran struck two communities near Israel's main nuclear research site late Saturday, leaving several people seriously injured, hours after its own Natanz main nuclear enrichment site was hit, as the war spun into a dangerous new direction at the start of its fourth week.
It marked the first time in the war that Israel's nuclear research center was targeted.
The Israeli military said its defenses were not able to intercept missiles that hit the southern cities of Dimona and Arad. Dozens of people were injured, emergency services said.
"The war is not close to ending," said Israel's army chief, Gen. Eyal Zamir.
Earlier, Iran targeted the joint U.K.-U.S. Diego Garcia military base in the Indian Ocean about 2,500 miles away, suggesting Tehran has missiles that can go farther than previously acknowledged — or that it used its space program for an improvised launch.
Residents said Iran's capital saw heavy airstrikes as they marked the end of the holy month of Ramadan.
The war's effects are felt far beyond the Middle East, raising food and fuel prices.
There was no leakage after the strike on the Natanz nuclear facility, almost 135 miles southeast of Tehran, the Iranian judiciary's official news agency, Mizan, said. The facility also was hit in the first week of the war and in the 12-day war last June.
The U.N. nuclear watchdog said the bulk of Iran's estimated 970 pounds of enriched uranium is elsewhere, beneath the rubble at its Isfahan facility. The International Atomic Energy Agency said on social media it was looking into the strike.
Israel's military said it was "not aware" of a strike by it there. The Pentagon declined to comment.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said such strikes pose a "real risk of catastrophic disaster throughout the Middle East."
Iran later retaliated, targeting Israel's nuclear program. Israel is believed to be the only Middle East nation with nuclear weapons, though its leaders refuse to confirm or deny their existence. The IAEA said on social media it had not received reports of damage to the Israeli center or abnormal radiation levels.
U.K. officials did not give details of the strike that targeted the Diego Garcia base Friday, which was unsuccessful. Britain's Ministry of Defense described Iran as "lashing out across the region."
It's unclear how close the missiles came to the island. Iran previously asserted that it limited its missile range to about 1,200 miles.
However, military experts said Iran may have used its space launch vehicle for an improvised firing. "If you've got a space program, you've got a ballistic missile program," said Steve Prest, a retired Royal Navy commodore.
Israel's army chief, however, said Iran fired "a two-stage intercontinental ballistic missile." There was no statement from Iran.
Britain has not participated in U.S.-Israeli attacks but allowed U.S. bombers to use its bases to attack Iran's missile sites.
On Friday, the U.K. government said bombers could use Diego Garcia to attack sites used to target ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
As Iran threatens shipping on the strait, the United Arab Emirates joined 21 other countries — including the U.K., Germany, France and Japan — in expressing "readiness to contribute to appropriate efforts to ensure safe passage."
The Trump administration announced it temporarily lifted sanctions on Iranian oil already loaded on ships as of Friday, but that does not increase oil production, a central factor in surging prices. The oil ministry of Iran, which evaded sanctions for years, replied that it "essentially has no crude oil left in floating storage."
The head of U.S. Central Command, Adm. Brad Cooper, asserted that Iran's ability to attack vessels on the strait was "degraded." He said 5,000-pound bombs were dropped this past week on an underground facility along Iran's coast used to store anti-ship cruise missiles and mobile missile launchers. The U.S. is deploying three more amphibious assault ships and roughly 2,500 additional Marines to the Middle East, an official told The Associated Press. Two other U.S. officials confirmed that ships were deploying, without saying where they were headed. All three spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the operations.
Gulf countries reported more attacks. A missile alert sounded Saturday night in Dubai. Saudi Arabia said it downed 20 drones in the eastern part of the country, home to major oil installations.
Iran's health ministry said more than 1,500 people were killed there so far, the state broadcaster reported.
In Israel, 15 people were killed by Iranian missiles and four others were killed in the occupied West Bank. At least 13 U.S. military members were killed, along with more than a dozen civilians in Gulf nations.
Israel's military said it was conducting a "targeted ground operation" in southern Lebanon and at least four militants were killed. Hezbollah said its fighters clashed with troops in the southern village of Khiam. Israeli strikes targeting Hezbollah killed more than 1,000 people and displaced more than 1 million, according to the Lebanese government. Hezbollah's civilian assets also were targeted.
The U.S. and Israel offered shifting rationales for the war, from hoping to foment an uprising that will topple Iran's leadership to eliminating its nuclear and missile programs and its support for armed proxies. There were no signs of an uprising, while internet restrictions limit information from Iran.
