Israeli nuclear facilities were attacked by missiles, with multiple buildings suffering extensive damage. Iran stated that this attack was a show of restraint!
According to the latest report from Israeli media on the 21st, an Iranian ballistic missile broke through Israel's southern air defense system and directly hit Dimona City, causing serious damage to multiple buildings and resulting in dozens of casualties. The Israeli side urgently deployed rescue helicopters for handling the situation.
Meanwhile, Iran clearly stated that this operation was retaliation for Israel's previous attack on the Natanz facility, and emphasized that the Dimona nuclear research center is only 12 kilometers away from the impact site, sending a signal that "next time it could directly hit the core." The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) later confirmed that there were no signs of damage at the Shimon Peres Negev Nuclear Research Center, a detail that seems to also support Iran's claim of "showing restraint."
Dage said, from a geographical perspective, the 12-kilometer distance is within the range of deterrence for modern ballistic missiles, yet leaves a clear margin of safety. If Iran had intended to completely disable Israel's nuclear capabilities, it could have chosen coordinates closer to the core or used a multi-warhead saturation attack. However, the actual result was only damage to urban buildings, with nuclear facilities remaining unscathed.
Another point, Iran's choice of such a "borderline" strike strategy is mainly based on strategic rationality. Directly destroying nuclear facilities could trigger Israel's full-scale nuclear retaliation or lead to direct U.S. military intervention, which would lead to loss of control over the situation.
By attacking nearby cities, Iran demonstrated its ability to penetrate the "Iron Dome" and "Arrow" air defense systems, proving its hard power to strike high-value targets, while objectively avoiding crossing the "nuclear threshold" red line. This "stop at the point" approach essentially aims to force Israel to be more restrained in subsequent attacks on nuclear facilities.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1860322206857227/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author.