Israel’s Weizmann Institute Targeted by Iran has ‘Nuclear, Military’ Links – Reports 

June 17, 2025 News
The Weizmann Institute was destroyed by an Iranian attack. (Design: Palestine Chronicle, via social media)

Israeli Professor Eran Segal, whose AI lab was also directly hit, noted that millions of dollars’ worth of equipment was damaged beyond recovery due to water and structural damage.

A recent Iranian missile strike has inflicted extensive damage on the Weizmann Institute of Science in central Israel, a facility long considered a cornerstone of the country’s scientific and military-industrial infrastructure, Al Mayadeen reported.

The news agency cites The Marker, a daily business newspaper published by the Israeli Haaretz Group, as reporting that several buildings within the institute sustained direct hits, with one key laboratory complex entirely destroyed by fire.

The missile “caused heavy damage to the institute’s grounds, and several buildings on the campus were directly hit. One of them, which was used for research laboratories in the fields of biology, biochemistry and life sciences, caught fire,” the Marker reported.

‘Prominent’ Symbol

The report noted that the attack “was not random,” adding that “it targeted an institution that many consider one of the most prominent symbols of Israel’s scientific and technological superiority, in an attempt to illustrate that even this qualitative advantage is not immune.”

“The institute engages in basic research, but it has an indirect and ongoing contribution to security-related fields, including physics, biotechnology, and artificial intelligence,” the Marker stated.

‘Scientific, Military Brain’

According to Al Mayadeen, the Weizmann Institute is described by Israeli media as “the scientific and military brain” of Israel and “has played a pivotal role in the research and development of technologies underpinning airstrike coordination systems, drone warfare capabilities, and battlefield medical technology.”

Israeli Professor Eran Segal, whose AI lab was also directly hit, noted that millions of dollars’ worth of equipment was damaged beyond recovery due to water and structural damage, Al Mayadeen reported.

It said, “Segal’s lab had reportedly contributed to algorithmic systems used in battlefield decision-making and real-time surveillance, tools that have aided the Israeli entity’s strikes in Gaza and elsewhere.”

‘Drone Technologies’

According to EuroNews, the Weizmann Institute “is one of the pillars of technological innovation in Israel, directly contributing to the development of complex military systems, including artificial intelligence for data analysis and combat guidance, drone technologies and autonomous systems, advanced electronic tracking and jamming tools and alternative GPS navigation systems.”

It said the institute “also develops encryption for military codes and communication in hostile environments and conducts research in nuclear energy applications, as well as field treatments for injured soldiers.”

These activities, EuroNews noted, “partly explain why the institute is considered a strategic target for Tehran, especially after recent Israeli strikes on military facilities and prominent Iranian scientists.”

The report noted that the institute is funded by the Israeli government, “in addition to significant support from international organisations.”

‘Technological Backbone’

Meanwhile, the Anadolu news agency reported on Tuesday that allegations have come to the fore that the Weizmann Institute of Science “is linked to nuclear research and military projects.”

Founded in 1934, the Weizmann Institute of Science is named after Chaim Weizmann, one of the leading figures of the Zionist movement, who was also the founder of the institute and Israel’s first president, the report noted.

Described by the Israeli press as the country’s “technological backbone” and “strategic base,” Anadolu said, the institute is known for its research in fundamental sciences such as physics, chemistry, and biology.

Israel’s official stance is to deny possessing nuclear weapons capabilities, the report noted.

In the work of many organizations, such as the US-based Wisconsin Project on Nuclear Arms Control and the Institute for Middle East Policy Studies, “the Weizmann Institute is associated with the nuclear research center located near Dimona in the Negev Desert,” Anadolu said.

It further noted that Israeli scientist Ernst David Bergmann is recognized as the “father of Israel’s nuclear program.”

Dimona

In a 2014 joint study by the University of Cincinnati in the US and Tel Aviv University in Israel, “Bergmann’s influence on Israel’s policies was evaluated as a mentor to the institute’s fundamental research.”

According to the study, Bergmann, who was the first chairman of the Israel Atomic Energy Commission in 1952, emphasized the importance of training Israeli scientists with a background in nuclear physics as the foundation for Israel’s steps toward developing nuclear weapons.

Attack on Iran: Who Were the Iranian Commanders and Scientists Killed by Israel?

Bergmann, who was also one of the founders of the nuclear research center in Dimona, utilized the research infrastructure and human resources at the Weizmann Institute to launch and develop the country’s nuclear program, the report noted.

“Bergmann became interested in this issue after the US government of the time published the Smyth Report on atomic bombs, and in this context, he reached an agreement with former President Weizmann to send institute personnel to France and Sweden to receive training in nuclear chemistry,” Anadolu said.

AIPAC

Thanks to the intensive efforts of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), in 1994, the report added, “the US administration approved the sale of a total of nine supercomputers to industries related to nuclear and missile programs, including the Technion University and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in Israel, as well as the Weizmann Institute.”

According to information on the Weizmann Institute’s official website, the report continued, the institution is Israel’s most important scientific research facility.

The institute, the report said, “plays an important role in advanced weapons and military technology research and development.”

Its “strategic value lies in its cutting-edge military research and development work.”

The Weizmann Institute of Science, the report continued, “collaborates with leading companies such as the Israeli army and the Israel-based defense company Elbit Systems on advanced technology development.”

It also contributes to “the development of Israel’s drone technology, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity.”

(Anadolu, Al Mayadeen, PC)

Related Articles

1 Comment

  1. GREAT to see IRAN feeding the zionists their own medicine! IRAN has Ended israel’s West-provided impunity! SEE just how the zionists like, being under the warheads!..Now IRAN should carpet Bomb ALL the zionist settlements on the West Bank… show them they will indeed leave that Palestinian Territory!! The usa has for decades used israel as an attack-dog on Muslim States… funny to see that IRAN has gelded the dog!

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.


*