They also hit key components of Iran’s chemical and biological weapons program, including efforts to develop so-called "dirty bombs."

One of the major targets was the Shahid Meisami Center in Karaj, which operated under Iran’s Organization of Defensive Innovation and Research (SPND), the country’s central body for advanced weapons development.

According to intelligence analyst Ronen Solomon, this facility wasn’t simply a defensive lab — it was conducting dual-use research enabling Iran to produce deadly weapons such as the nerve agents sarin and Novichok, both known for their use in poisonings and assassinations.

Though officially listed under Iran’s chemical defense unit, the Meisami Center was in fact a critical link in the production of non-conventional warheads. The Israeli airstrike reportedly destroyed the facility, significantly disrupting Iran’s efforts in this area.

At the same time, Iran reportedly launched a new missile during the war that carries cluster munitions — a technology that could in the future be adapted to deliver chemical payloads.

Back in 2019, the center was already flagged as a site developing chemical weapons for crowd control. In 2020, the head of the team was identified as Mehran Barbi, who had previously worked at a chemical defense research lab.

American counterterrorism expert Matthew Levitt has also reported that Israeli intelligence believed Iran was developing chemical incapacitating agents not only for internal use, but also to arm Hezbollah with rocket-launched grenades and mortars. These concerns have grown since Iran’s planned invasion of the Galilee and the October 7 attack.