Rehovot, July 3, 2025 (Agencies) — Iran’s June 15 missile strike on Israel’s prestigious Weizmann Institute of Science has caused catastrophic damage to one of the country’s most prominent research hubs, with up to 90% of the campus affected, according to multiple reports and eyewitness accounts.
The Weizmann Institute, long regarded as Israel’s “crown jewel of science,” was struck with what officials described as “extreme precision”, contradicting earlier Israeli claims of minimal damage. The attack is widely seen as a retaliatory response to Israel’s earlier strikes on Iranian nuclear scientists and facilities.
Key Damage and Losses:
- Two direct missile hits destroyed a newly constructed chemistry lab and a life sciences building
- Over 45 research groups have been displaced, with many losing years of experimental data and biological samples
- A cardiac regeneration lab with 22 years of research was completely obliterated
- EU-funded projects and ERC grants supporting at least 15 labs were disrupted, with losses estimated between $300 million and $570 million
While the Weizmann Institute is internationally recognized for its contributions to life sciences, physics, and chemistry, it also maintains documented ties to Israel’s defense sector, including collaborations with Elbit Systems and research in AI, drone warfare, and surveillance technologies5. Analysts suggest this dual role made it a strategic and symbolic target for Iran.
“They managed to harm the crown jewel of science in Israel,” said Prof. Oren Schuldiner, whose neuroscience lab was among those destroyed.
The strike has raised alarm across the global scientific community. The European Commission is reportedly reviewing its research cooperation with Israel, while Iranian officials have framed the attack as a proportional response to Israel’s targeting of Iranian scientists.
The Weizmann campus remains closed, with researchers scrambling to salvage what little remains. Many fear it could take years to rebuild the infrastructure and recover lost momentum in critical fields such as cancer research, developmental biology, and regenerative medicine.