Iranian missile strike devastates Israel’s Weizmann institute as war enters second week: Europe pushes for diplomacy

The ongoing aerial conflict between Israel and Iran entered its second week on Friday, prompting renewed diplomatic efforts from European leaders to bring Tehran back to the negotiating table.

In a marked escalation of the Israel-Iran conflict, a missile strike launched by Iran has caused severe damage to Israel’s prestigious Weizmann Institute of Science, destroying laboratories and halting years of groundbreaking research. The strike, which took place early Sunday in the central city of Rehovot, represents a significant shift in targeting strategy—focusing on academic institutions.

While no casualties were reported, the physical and academic toll is considerable. The missile hit two buildings directly: one housing advanced life sciences laboratories and another still under construction for chemistry research. Dozens of other campus structures were also affected, with shattered windows, collapsed ceilings, debris-strewn halls, and blackened walls bearing witness to the destruction.

“This wasn’t just superficial damage—some labs were entirely wiped out,” said Professor Sarel Fleishman, a biochemistry researcher who assessed the site following the strike.

The Weizmann Institute has remained closed since the attack. Journalists granted access on Thursday described widespread devastation across the campus, which is one of Israel’s most esteemed scientific institutions.

The strike underscores a dramatic reversal in the conflict's targeting patterns. For years, Israel has conducted operations aimed at Iranian nuclear scientists and facilities, seeking to delay Tehran’s nuclear ambitions. Recently, Israeli strikes have killed several high-level Iranian scientists and military officials. Now, Iran appears to be mirroring those tactics.

Iran’s focus on the Weizmann Institute is not without precedent. Last year, Israeli intelligence uncovered an Iranian-backed plot to assassinate a nuclear scientist working at the institute. The suspects, Palestinians from East Jerusalem, were arrested while conducting surveillance on behalf of Iranian operatives.

“Iran has had the Weizmann Institute in its crosshairs,” said Dr. Yoel Guzansky, an Iran specialist at the Institute for National Security Studies. “Targeting it is symbolic—they see it as the heart of Israeli scientific achievement.”

One of the worst-hit labs was that of Professor Oren Schuldiner, whose molecular cell biology research focused on the nervous system, with applications for understanding conditions like autism and schizophrenia. The lab, home to thousands of genetically engineered fruit flies and state-of-the-art microscopes, was completely destroyed.

“This was a moral victory for Iran—they struck a symbol of Israeli excellence,” Schuldiner said. “Sixteen years of research are gone. We’ve lost irreplaceable data and global collaborations. It will take years to rebuild.”

Founded in 1934 and named after Israel’s first president, the Weizmann Institute is among the world’s top scientific institutions. It has produced a Nobel laureate in chemistry and three Turing Award winners. In 1954, it built Israel’s first computer.

The missile strike dealt a particularly hard blow to life sciences research, where even minor disruptions can derail entire projects. Studies in cancer treatment, tissue regeneration, and developmental biology have been suspended indefinitely or severely delayed.

“All our research has come to a halt,” Schuldiner added. “The damage isn’t just to Israel—it’s a loss to the global scientific community.”

U.S. President Donald Trump stated that a decision on possible American involvement would be made within two weeks.

Israel launched airstrikes against Iran last Friday, claiming the move was aimed at preventing Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons. Iran retaliated with missile and drone attacks on Israeli territory, maintaining that its nuclear programme is intended solely for peaceful purposes.

According to the Human Rights Activists News Agency, Israeli airstrikes have killed 639 people in Iran, including senior military figures and nuclear scientists. Meanwhile, Israeli authorities report that at least two dozen civilians have died in Iranian missile attacks. These casualty figures could not be independently verified by Reuters.

Western and regional officials report that Israel has struck Iranian nuclear facilities, missile infrastructure, and even civilian areas, in an apparent bid to destabilize the regime of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

"We are not explicitly targeting regime change. That could be an outcome—but it is ultimately up to the Iranian people to fight for their own freedom," said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday.

Iran, in turn, claims it is aiming solely at Israeli military and defense sites. However, its strikes have also hit civilian locations, including a hospital.

On Thursday, Israel accused Iran of deliberately targeting civilians using cluster munitions—banned by many nations for their wide-area destructive impact. Iran’s mission to the United Nations did not respond to requests for comment.

Iranian emergency services reported that five hospitals had been damaged by Israeli airstrikes as of Friday.

Despite growing casualties and destruction, neither side has shown signs of de-escalating. In response, the foreign ministers of Britain, France, and Germany, along with the European Union’s top diplomat, met with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi in Geneva on Friday in an effort to mediate the conflict.

“We must stop the horrifying scenes unfolding in the Middle East and prevent a broader regional war that benefits no one,” said UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy ahead of the meeting.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also met with Lammy on Thursday and held separate calls with foreign ministers from Australia, France, and Italy. According to the U.S. State Department, all agreed on one point: "Iran must never be allowed to develop or obtain a nuclear weapon."

Posting on social media platform X, Lammy echoed that sentiment and noted that there is a limited window—about two weeks—to secure a diplomatic resolution.

However, Iranian Foreign Minister Araqchi said in a state television broadcast that Tehran would not consider nuclear negotiations while under Israeli attack.

Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping both condemned Israel’s actions and called for immediate de-escalation, according to the Kremlin.

The United States’ role in the conflict remains unclear. Trump’s special envoy to the region, Steve Witkoff, has reportedly held multiple conversations with Araqchi since last week. The White House confirmed that Trump would attend a national security meeting on Friday. The president has alternated between warning Iran and encouraging a return to stalled nuclear talks.

Escalating Strikes

On Friday morning, the Israeli military issued a new alert over incoming missile attacks from Iran. At least one missile struck directly in Beersheba, Israel’s largest city in the south, hitting near residential areas and office buildings. The blast created a large crater and severely damaged apartment complexes.

“This was a direct strike near one of the buildings. The damage here is significant,” said paramedic Shafir Botner. Public broadcaster Kan showed footage of burning vehicles, shattered windows, and smoke billowing from the scene. Six people suffered minor injuries, and emergency teams continued searching for victims.

A day earlier, Iran had hit a major hospital in Beersheba. While Iran claimed it was targeting an Israeli military base nearby, Israel denied that any such facility existed in the area.

In retaliation, Israel announced overnight strikes on Tehran, including hits on missile production centers and a nuclear weapons R&D site.

On Friday, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz also threatened action against Hezbollah after the Lebanese group suggested it would support Iran in the conflict.

President Trump has publicly considered using powerful "bunker buster" bombs to strike Iran’s deeply buried nuclear sites. The White House says a decision could come within the next two weeks—though Trump has a history of extending such self-imposed deadlines.

Iran now faces one of the gravest threats to its regime since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Yet, calls for an internal uprising remain muted.

“How can people take to the streets amid this horror? Right now, they’re just trying to protect their families, their neighbors, and even their pets,” said prominent Iranian activist Atena Daemi, who spent six years in prison before fleeing the country.

With diplomacy hanging by a thread and the military conflict deepening, the coming days may determine whether the crisis can be defused—or spirals into a full-scale regional war.