Iranian ballistic missiles struck the Israeli towns of Dimona and Arad on Friday, injuring more than 100 people including children, according to Israeli emergency services. Dimona is located in the Negev desert and is the site of Israel's Negev Nuclear Research Center — Israel's primary nuclear facility — making the targeting of the area one of the most provocative military actions of the conflict. The Daily Wire ran video footage of explosions and building damage in Dimona; Al Jazeera confirmed the strikes from on-the-ground reporting and cited local residents describing fires and collapsed structures. Israel's Iron Dome intercepted a number of the incoming missiles but some broke through, causing the casualties.

Separately, Iran launched a ballistic missile toward Diego Garcia, a joint U.S.-U.K. military base in the Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean approximately 2,500 miles from Tehran. The strike was unsuccessful — British and U.S. systems intercepted or deflected the missile — but it demonstrated an Iranian missile range that had not been publicly documented before the war. Britain's Ministry of Defence stated that "Iran's reckless attacks...are a threat to British interests and British allies." The Daily Wire published a commentary headlined "Why Iran's Long-Range Missile Attack On Diego Garcia Proves It Was Lying The Whole Time," arguing Iran had been concealing its capabilities from international inspectors and arms-control monitors. NPR confirmed the Diego Garcia incident in its fourth-week war overview, noting the missile's range implications.

The strikes came on the same day as Trump's 48-hour ultimatum to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, creating a day of overlapping escalations. Saudi Arabia also intercepted a missile over its northern Al Jouf region, according to earlier reports. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated the war was entering "a new phase" and warned of "many surprises" ahead, without elaborating. The IDF said its own air force conducted fresh strikes on Tehran early Saturday in response to the overnight Iranian attacks.

Analysts cited across the spectrum noted that targeting the vicinity of Dimona represents a significant escalatory threshold: while Iran has not explicitly threatened Israel's nuclear facilities, striking near them — even if the primary targets were civilian population centers — raises questions about the conflict's potential to enter nuclear-adjacent territory. The Los Angeles Times and Al Jazeera reported that the strikes occurred as Israelis and Iranians alike were observing their respective spring religious holidays — Purim for some Israeli communities and the aftermath of Nowruz for Iran — adding a symbolic dimension noted by cultural observers on both sides.