Iran’s Missile Strike on Rehovot Campus Sparks Blaze, Researchers Brave Ruins to Rescue Vital Samples

A missile launched by Iran struck the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel, severely damaging one of the country’s premier research institutions and leaving researchers scrambling to salvage critical experiments.

The missile hit in the early hours of Sunday, when the campus was empty, preventing injuries but causing extensive destruction.

Urgent Efforts to Save Research Amid Flames

The attack led to the destruction of several key buildings, with one structure partially collapsing and others suffering serious damage. Physicist Roee Ozeri, vice president for development and communications at Weizmann, said researchers fought fires while trying to rescue valuable scientific samples.

“We did our best to save as much of the samples as we could from the labs, from the buildings, while we were fighting the fire,” Ozeri told Reuters.

Netanyahu Condemns Iran, Praises Scientists

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the devastated campus on Friday and praised the courage of both emergency responders and scientists. He called them “the best of Israel,” standing amid rubble and destruction.

“This building behind me, next to me, says everything,” Netanyahu stated. “Iran is the pre-eminent terrorist regime in the world. It must not, cannot have nuclear weapons. That is the purpose of Israel’s actions—to save itself from the Iranian threat of annihilation, but by doing so, we are saving many, many others.”

The missile strike comes in the wake of escalating tensions after Israel began military operations against Iran on June 13, claiming Iran was nearing nuclear weapons development. Iran insists its nuclear program is solely for peaceful purposes.

Attack Disrupts Decades of Research

While the Weizmann Institute is renowned for its groundbreaking research in medicine and science, it also has defense-related partnerships.

In October 2024, it announced a collaboration with Israel’s leading defense company, Elbit Systems, to develop bio-inspired materials for defense use.

Founded in 1934, the Weizmann Institute is Israel’s most significant science research institution, employing 191 staff scientists, supporting 286 research groups, and hosting hundreds of PhD students, master’s candidates, and postdoctoral researchers.

Its research spans fields such as genetics, immunology, and astrophysics.

Scientists Report Major Losses

The missile directly affected work by several scientists, including Eldad Tzahor, who specializes in regenerative medicine for heart diseases. He reported the destruction of numerous samples and tissues critical to long-term studies.

“Everything is lost,” Tzahor told Reuters TV. “I would estimate that it will take us about a year to get into a full year of research and with everything working again.”

The financial toll is estimated at $300-$500 million. Complex, shared machines essential to the institute’s work were damaged or destroyed.

Jacob Hanna, a researcher in molecular genetics, said his lab’s ceiling collapsed and the staircase was torn away. However, students managed to transfer frozen mouse and human cell lines to backup tanks in the basement.

“I was always worried that if a war actually happens, I don’t want to lose these,” Hanna told Nature.

Scientists Call It a “Moral Victory” for Iran

The Associated Press quoted Professor Oren Schuldiner, who leads labs in molecular cell biology and neuroscience, as saying, “It’s a moral victory” for Iran. “They managed to harm the crown jewel of science in Israel.”

The missile strike occurred as hostilities between Israel and Iran intensified, following years of covert actions, including Israeli assassinations of Iranian nuclear scientists and attacks on Iranian infrastructure. In turn, Iran is believed to have attempted to target Israeli scientists.

Yoel Guzansky, an Iran expert from the Institute for National Security Studies, said, “The Weizmann Institute has been in Iran’s sights” and that the strike likely served as a symbolic retaliation. “You harm our scientists, so we are also harming (your) scientific cadre,” he said.

Iran’s Retaliation and Ongoing Conflict

Iran has not confirmed whether the Weizmann Institute was a deliberate target. However, its broader missile and drone retaliation has killed 24 civilians in Israel and damaged hundreds of structures, including a hospital in Beersheba.

On Thursday, the U.N. nuclear watchdog’s Board of Governors found Iran in violation of its non-proliferation obligations for the first time in nearly two decades. Iran continues to assert that its nuclear program remains peaceful.

Despite its primarily academic focus, the Weizmann Institute’s links to defense research may have contributed to its targeting.

The missile hit buildings housing life sciences labs and an under-construction chemistry facility, while dozens of other buildings also sustained damage.

Professor Sarel Fleishman, who toured the site after the strike, noted, “Several buildings were hit quite hard, meaning that some labs were literally decimated, really leaving nothing.”

Past Threats and First Direct Hit

Last year, Israeli officials said they foiled an Iranian plot to assassinate a nuclear scientist at the institute. The suspects, Palestinians from East Jerusalem, were arrested before executing the plan.

This missile strike marks the first time Iran has directly and visibly targeted a major Israeli scientific institution.