Israel has carried out airstrikes on Iran’s Arak heavy water nuclear reactor, now known as the Khondab facility, after Iranian missile barrages hit multiple targets in Israel, including a hospital in Beersheba. The seventh day of escalating conflict between the two nations has brought increased military action and a growing number of civilian casualties.
Iranian state media reported that air defenses were activated near the Khondab reactor, where two projectiles landed nearby. Iranian authorities confirmed the facility had been evacuated prior to the strike, with no radiation risk or casualties reported.
The Israeli military claimed its jets targeted “the structure of the reactor’s core seal, which is a key component in plutonium production.” Alongside the Arak reactor, Israel said it also struck other Iranian sites, including Natanz, as part of a wider campaign against Tehran’s nuclear infrastructure.
In Beersheba, an Iranian missile hit near Soroka Medical Center, injuring dozens. According to Israel’s Ministry of Health, at least 240 people were wounded in the broader attacks, with 70 hurt at Soroka alone.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated, “The missile attack hit an Israeli military and intelligence centre located near Soroka hospital, causing only ‘superficial damage to a small section’ of the health facility.” The IRGC echoed this claim, saying the target was a military command site, not the hospital, and described the strike as precise.
Israeli officials, however, strongly condemned the incident. Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel posted on X that Iran’s strike on Soroka hospital was “deliberate” and “criminal.” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed retaliation, declaring, “Israel would exact the full price from the tyrants in Tehran.”
Defence Minister Israel Katz took a more direct stance, stating, “Such a person is forbidden to exist,” in reference to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, whom he blamed for ordering strikes on civilian areas. Katz further added, “Khamenei openly declares that he wants Israel destroyed — he personally gives the order to fire on hospitals.”
Netanyahu also hinted that Khamenei himself could be a target: “I have instructed that no one is immune.”
The Israeli military later retracted an earlier claim that it had struck the Bushehr nuclear power plant, calling it a mistake. However, attacks on multiple Iranian military and nuclear locations have been confirmed.
The Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reported that since June 13, 639 people in Iran have died, including 263 civilians, with over 1,300 injured. In Israel, at least 24 people have been killed in the same timeframe.
The Beersheba hospital has reported extensive structural damage. Prof. Shlomi Codish, CEO of Soroka Medical Center, stated that about 200 patients would be transferred due to the fire and damage caused by the blast.
Meanwhile, an Iranian missile also struck Ramat Gan, near Tel Aviv, injuring at least 20 people and causing serious damage in the city’s business district.
With tensions escalating rapidly, both nations have declared intentions to continue targeting military and strategic infrastructure. Israel claims it has already destroyed “more than half” of Iran’s missile launchers, and Netanyahu vowed to eliminate the nuclear and ballistic missile threat entirely: “By the end of this operation, there will be no nuclear threat to Israel, nor will there be a ballistic missile threat.”
As the conflict intensifies, the risk of further regional destabilization remains high, with international observers warning of the dangerous precedent set by targeting nuclear sites and civilian areas alike.