Monday, 25 May 2026
(AP PHOTO)
Israeli researchers stunned after missile hits prestigious institute
REHOVOT — For years, Israel has targeted Iranian nuclear scientists in an effort to stall Iran’s nuclear ambitions by eliminating the minds behind the project.
But now, as tensions erupt into overt conflict between Iran and Israel, Israeli scientists themselves have come under threat. An Iranian missile recently struck the renowned Weizmann Institute of Science—a leading center for research in life sciences, physics, and other disciplines, AP reported.
Although the early Sunday attack on the Weizmann Institute resulted in no fatalities, multiple laboratories suffered extensive destruction. The strike destroyed years of research and sent a stark warning to Israel’s scientific community: they and their expertise have become targets in the deepening Iran-Israel confrontation.
“It’s a moral victory for Iran,” said Professor Oren Schuldiner, who heads labs in molecular cell biology and molecular neuroscience—both of which were decimated. “They succeeded in damaging the crown jewel of Israeli science.”
Israel has long engaged in a covert struggle with Iran, repeatedly targeting Iranian nuclear scientists in hopes of delaying Iran’s nuclear program.
That approach continued in recent days, as Israel’s retaliatory attacks killed several Iranian nuclear scientists, high-ranking generals, and struck facilities linked to nuclear activity and ballistic missiles.
Iran, too, has been accused of plotting against Weizmann's scientists. Last year, Israeli officials disrupted an Iranian-linked spy cell planning to track and assassinate an Israeli nuclear scientist from the institute.
According to Israeli media citing an indictment, Palestinian suspects from east Jerusalem gathered intelligence and photographed the institute’s exterior but were apprehended before acting.
Iran’s intelligence efforts inside Israel have rarely matched Israel’s own operations, making this week's missile attack on Weizmann all the more shocking.
“The Weizmann Institute has been on Iran’s radar,” said Yoel Guzansky, a senior Iran analyst at the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv. Although he couldn’t confirm Iran’s intentions with certainty, Guzansky believes the institute was a deliberate target.
While Weizmann is a broad-based academic institution, it maintains ties to Israel's defense sector, collaborating with major companies like Elbit Systems. These connections may have put it at risk.
Still, Guzansky emphasized that the institute represents “Israeli scientific achievement,” and Iran’s attack demonstrates its logic: “You target our scientists, we target your scientific elite.”
Founded in 1934 and later named for Israel’s first president, the Weizmann Institute ranks among the world’s foremost research centers.