The Middle East is holding its breath after Iran’s Revolutionary Guard publicly threatened to “bomb the Zionist nuclear core”, boasting that its missiles have now “locked” on Israel’s most sensitive target: the Dimona nuclear site in the Negev desert.

In a fiery televised speech, a senior IRGC commander waved satellite images and mocked Israel’s defenses, claiming that “one coordinated salvo” could turn Dimona into “radioactive dust” and shatter Israel’s deterrent image forever. Crowds in Tehran chanted for revenge as state TV aired animations of missiles arcing toward southern Israel.

Jerusalem is taking the threat deadly seriously. The IDF has rushed extra missile‑defense batteries and fighter squadrons to the south, while civil‑defense officials quietly update evacuation and shelter plans for nearby communities. An Israeli official bluntly warned: “Any move on Dimona will trigger a response the regime in Tehran cannot survive.”

Washington, European capitals and Gulf states are urgently pressing Iran to walk back its rhetoric, warning that even talk of striking a nuclear site crosses one of the world’s brightest red lines. Intelligence agencies now fear a spiral in which Israel might feel compelled to launch a massive pre‑emptive strike—turning words and targeting claims into the spark for an all‑out regional war.