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In a significant escalation of hostilities, Iran launched a missile attack on Israel’s prestigious Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, causing extensive damage to one of the country’s premier research facilities, often referred to as the “crown jewel of Israeli science.” The strike, which occurred early on Sunday, June 15, 2025, destroyed multiple laboratories and obliterated years of scientific research, marking a new phase in the open conflict between Iran and Israel.
The attack comes amid years of Israel targeting Iran’s nuclear scientists to hinder its nuclear program. For the first time, Iran has retaliated by striking Israel’s scientific community, sending a chilling message that Israeli scientists and their expertise are now targets in this intensifying conflict. No casualties were reported at the Weizmann Institute, but the missile strike caused significant structural damage and disrupted critical research in fields such as life sciences and physics.
Professor Oren Schuldiner from the Department of Molecular Cell Biology expressed his devastation, stating, “My lab was completely destroyed in the attack. They have managed to harm the crown jewel of Israeli science.” The strike has not only damaged infrastructure but also erased irreplaceable research archives, setting back scientific progress by years.
Meanwhile, Israel’s military claimed on Friday, June 20, 2025, that it conducted a precision strike on an Iranian missile launch platform, killing a military commander preparing to launch missiles toward Israel. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) reported that three missile platforms were targeted, though further details were not disclosed.
The missile attack on the Weizmann Institute has been described as a calculated move by Iran, potentially in retaliation for Israel’s strikes on Iranian nuclear scientists and facilities. The institute, while globally renowned for its biomedical research, has also collaborated with the Israeli military on advanced technologies, including artificial intelligence, drone systems, and cybersecurity, which may have made it a strategic target for Tehran.
As the conflict continues, the targeting of scientific institutions underscores the broadening scope of hostilities, raising concerns about the safety of researchers and the future of scientific collaboration in the region.
AI/MR
