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Published : 22 Mar 2026, 09:48 AM
Israeli officials said on Saturday that Iranian forces had for the first time fired long‑range missiles, expanding the risk of attacks beyond the Middle East, even as an Iranian strike injured dozens of people not far from Israel's nuclear site.
Iran launched two 4,000-kilometre-range ballistic missiles at the US-UK military base Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, Israeli military chief Eyal Zamir said. The Israeli military said it was the "first time" Iran had used long‑range missiles in the conflict, marking its first expansion beyond the Middle East since the United States and Israel began attacking Iran on Feb 28.
"These missiles are not intended to strike Israel. Their range reaches European capitals — Berlin, Paris, and Rome are all within direct threat range," Zamir said in a statement.
A source at Britain's defence ministry said the attack had occurred before the government gave specific authorisation on Friday for the US to use British military bases to carry out strikes on Iranian missile sites.
More than 2,000 people have been killed in Iran since the US and Israel began their attacks. In Israel, 15 people have been killed in Iranian strikes since the war started.
Late on Saturday, Iranian missiles struck the southern Israeli cities of Dimona and Arad, injuring dozens of people, including children, in separate strikes. Iran's Revolutionary Guards said in a statement early Sunday that they targeted "military installations" and security centres in southern Israel.
Israeli army spokesperson Brigadier General Effie Defrin said in a post on X that the country's air defences were functioning but did not intercept the strikes. "We will investigate the incident and learn from it," he said.
Israel’s secretive nuclear reactor is about 13 kilometres southeast of Dimona. Both cities lie near several military sites, including Nevatim Air Base, one of the country's largest.
"This has been a very difficult evening in the battle for our future," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement released by his office following the strike on Arad.
"We are determined to continue striking our enemies on all fronts," the statement said.
TRUMP CONSIDERS 'WINDING DOWN'
US President Donald Trump on Friday posted that Washington was considering “winding down” its military operation against Iran.
In a social media post, Trump said the US was close to meeting its goals but insisted that other countries should take the lead in policing the Strait of Hormuz, the shipping lane whose near-closure threatens a global energy shock.
"We are getting very close to meeting our objectives as we consider winding down our great Military efforts in the Middle East with respect to the Terrorist Regime of Iran," Trump said on Truth Social.
Trump and his administration have sent mixed messages about US goals throughout the war, now entering its fourth week, leaving traditional US allies struggling to respond.
Trump has suggested the war could wind down as the Iranian threat was being eliminated, while at the same time US Marines and heavy landing craft head to the region.
American voters appear increasingly concerned at signs the war could expand. Energy price shocks are fuelling inflation, hitting consumers and businesses hard - a major political liability for Trump as he seeks to justify the war to the US public before November elections in which he could lose control of Congress.
Trump had also accused NATO allies of cowardice over their reluctance to help open the strait. Some allies have said they will consider it, but most say they are reluctant to join a war that Trump started without consulting them.
IRANIAN NUCLEAR SITE HIT
Iranian media said US-Israeli forces had attacked the Shahid Ahmadi-Roshan Natanz enrichment complex on Saturday morning. Technical experts found no radioactive leaks had occurred and nearby residents were not at risk. Israel said it was unaware of such a strike while the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said it was investigating.
Iranian media later reported strikes on a passenger terminal in the southern port of Bushehr and an empty passenger ship at nearby Kharg Island. The island, where Iran loads nearly all its oil exports, is seen as a potential target if Washington decides to hit Iranian energy or to use ground troops to seize it.
Iran said it fired drones at US bases in the UAE and Kuwait used to stage attacks on Iranian islands in the Gulf. Saudi Arabia on Saturday ordered Iran's military attaché and four other Iranian diplomats to leave the country, declaring them persona non grata.
Israel also attacked Beirut, saying it was targeting the Iran-backed Lebanese Hezbollah militia, part of the deadliest spillover from the war on Iran. Hezbollah fired on Israel in support of Tehran on Mar 2.
Israel said its aircraft attacked ballistic missile production sites around Tehran. Three members of a family were killed in a strike on a residential building in the city of Ramsar, Iranian media reported.
EUROPEAN GAS PRICES SURGE
Natural gas prices in Europe surged as much as 35% this week after Israel hit Iran's biggest gas field and Iran responded by attacking neighbours' energy infrastructure. The European Union urged members to lower gas-storage targets and start refilling reserves gradually to curb demand, the Financial Times reported on Saturday.
The Strait of Hormuz, conduit for around a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies, has been effectively closed to most shipping.
India, suffering a severe shortage of cooking gas, has been one of the few countries so far to persuade Iran to let any of its ships through the strait, with two tankers carrying liquefied petroleum gas leaving last week and two more in position on Friday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian on Saturday.
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi told Kyodo news agency that Tehran was ready to let Japan-related vessels pass through the strait, which carries around 90% of Japan's oil imports.
