Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to directly target senior leaders of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps following Iranian missile strikes that hit southern Israeli towns, including Arad and Dimona.
During a visit to Arad, where an Iranian missile struck residential areas and injured dozens, Netanyahu delivered a forceful warning, declaring that Israel would intensify its response against Iran’s military leadership and strategic assets.
“We are going after the regime. We are going after the IRGC, this criminal gang. We are targeting their leaders, their facilities, and their economic infrastructure,” Netanyahu said while inspecting the damage.
He later travelled to Dimona, a town in Israel’s Negev desert widely associated with the country’s undeclared nuclear programme, where another missile caused extensive destruction after making a direct impact.
Addressing residents, Netanyahu stressed that every part of Israel now faces direct security threats and urged strict compliance with military safety instructions.
“The entire nation is now a frontline, and the home front is part of that frontline. Whenever sirens sound, people must immediately move to shelter. This is not advice — it is an order,” he said.
According to Israeli emergency service Magen David Adom, at least 84 people were wounded in Arad, with 10 reported in serious condition. Earlier in the day, 33 others were injured in Dimona.
The missile strikes left severe destruction in both towns, tearing through residential buildings and leaving large craters at the impact sites. Emergency crews were seen combing through debris in search of survivors, while firefighters and rescue personnel worked through the wreckage.
Iranian state media described the strike on Dimona as retaliation for an earlier Israeli attack on the Natanz Nuclear Facility, one of Iran’s key nuclear installations.
The Israeli military acknowledged that its air defence systems failed to intercept the missiles and said an investigation is underway.
Military spokesperson Effie Defrin stated that while defence systems were activated, they did not successfully stop the incoming projectile, adding that the military would review the failure and draw operational lessons from the incident.
The strikes mark another dangerous escalation in tensions between Israel and Iran, raising fresh concerns over a broader regional confrontation.
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