According to a report by Reuters on Friday, March 06, 2026, Amid escalating conflict in the Middle East, Iran has highlighted Israel’s Dimona nuclear site as a potential target should a “regime change” scenario unfold.
A senior Iranian military official told Iran Nuances, later reported by ISNA, that Tehran’s “final effective missiles will target the Dimona nuclear reactor and all regional energy infrastructure,” adding, “This is a scenario we have already prepared for.”
The Dimona facility, officially the Shimon Peres Negev Nuclear Research Center, is considered the cornerstone of Israel’s nuclear program. Located in the Negev Desert, roughly 13 kilometers from the city of Dimona and 90 kilometers from Jerusalem, the site spans 36 square kilometers and houses about 2,700 scientists and technicians. It is ringed by electrified fencing, patrol roads, anti-aircraft missile batteries, and includes eight underground laboratories.
Construction began in the 1950s with French assistance, and the reactor became operational around 1963. Dimona handles nuclear fuel, including spent material used to produce weapons-grade plutonium. By 1967, U.S. reports suggested Israel possessed nuclear weapons. Secrecy has long shrouded the site, despite revelations by former technician Mordechai Vanunu in 1986.
While Israel maintains a policy of ambiguity, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute listed Israel as a nuclear-armed state in 2025, estimating more than 80 warheads, including roughly 30 air-deliverable bombs and 50 long-range Jericho-2 missiles. Plutonium extracted from Dimona’s spent fuel is reportedly sufficient for up to 200 nuclear warheads.
The site’s secrecy, combined with Israel’s refusal to join major non-proliferation treaties, underscores Dimona’s strategic significance. Recent satellite imagery and reports suggest ongoing activity, including possible nuclear waste management.
As regional hostilities intensify, Dimona remains a focal point in the Middle