Cairo — Iranian missiles struck two communities in southern Israel late Saturday, damaging buildings and wounding dozens in attacks near Israel’s main nuclear research area, while U.S. President Donald Trump issued a 48-hour ultimatum demanding Tehran fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz or face strikes he said would “obliterate” Iranian power plants.
The strikes on the southern Israeli cities of Dimona and Arad marked a dangerous new phase in the conflict as it entered its fourth week. Israeli military officials said they were unable to intercept the missiles that hit the area around Dimona, the largest town near Israel’s Negev nuclear site, in what was reportedly the first time missiles reached past air defences near the facility.
Hours earlier, Iran’s forces had struck Natanz, Tehran’s main nuclear enrichment site. Israel denied responsibility for the Natanz attack; Iran’s judiciary news agency said there was no leakage, and the International Atomic Energy Agency said most of Iran’s estimated enriched uranium was located elsewhere, under rubble at its Isfahan facility. The Pentagon declined to comment, and Russia’s foreign ministry warned such strikes risk a catastrophic wider disaster. Iran retaliated hours after the Natanz incident.
Trump posted from his Florida residence that the United States would give Iran 48 hours to open the Strait of Hormuz to shipping and said it would carry out new strikes if Iran did not comply. He said the U.S. would target “various power plants, starting with the biggest one first.” The administration said it was temporarily lifting sanctions on Iranian oil already loaded on ships as of Friday to ease immediate supply pressures, though it said the move would not increase Iranian production.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf wrote on X that the apparent failure to intercept missiles near the Dimona area signaled an operational shift in the conflict.
Regional and maritime incidents continued to escalate. The U.K.-run United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre reported that a projectile struck near a bulk carrier about 15 nautical miles north of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates, causing an explosion but no crew injuries. The UKMTO said the vessel’s crew was safe.
Saudi Arabia reported that its air defences tracked three ballistic missiles launched toward Riyadh overnight, intercepting one while the others fell in uninhabited areas. Riyadh also said it shot down six drones aimed at the kingdom’s eastern oil-producing region; there were no casualties or damage reported.
Israel said it was mounting a targeted ground operation in southern Lebanon in which at least four militants were killed. Hezbollah reported clashes with Israeli troops in the village of Khiam. Lebanese officials say Israeli strikes targeting Hezbollah have killed more than 1,000 people and displaced over 1 million; Hezbollah’s reported civilian assets have also been struck.
Global pressure grew to restore safe commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. The United Arab Emirates joined 21 other countries, including the U.K., Germany, France and Japan, in expressing readiness to contribute to efforts to ensure safe passage. Iran’s oil ministry said it “essentially has no crude oil left in floating storage,” underscoring the strain on supplies and the broader impact on oil and food prices.
There were also reports of an unsuccessful strike targeting the U.K.-U.S. military base on Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean. Britain’s Ministry of Defence said Iran was “lashing out across the region,” and experts noted Tehran may have used improvised methods — possibly leveraging space-launch capabilities — to extend missile range. Retired Royal Navy commodore Steve Prest commented that a space program can indicate a ballistic-missile capability.
Israeli military chief Gen. Eyal Zamir warned the war is nowhere near over, saying the conflict had taken a more dangerous direction. Israel and the United States have offered shifting justifications for military action — from seeking to foment internal change in Iran to dismantling its nuclear and missile programs and curbing support for proxy groups — but there have been no signs of an uprising inside Iran. Internet restrictions have also limited reporting from within the country.
The widening confrontation has had immediate global consequences, contributing to higher fuel and food prices and prompting international coordination efforts to protect shipping lanes. As strikes and counterstrikes continue across a widening geography, leaders and militaries in the region and beyond are weighing further responses amid mounting civilian tolls and displacement.
