The Weizmann Institute: What to know about the high-tech Israeli facility struck by Iran

Iran struck the Weizmann Institute of Science near Tel Aviv on the second night of its ballistic missile attacks against Israel on Saturday, causing significant damage.

Security camera footage showed several projectiles hitting the facility, damaging the façade of one of the buildings and triggering plumes of smoke.

The strike caused a fire in at least one building containing labs, according to images obtained by The New York Times.

The attack took place during a barrage of Iranian missiles and drones, which hit several targets in central and northern Israel on Saturday.

Based in the town of Rehovot south of the Israeli capital, the institute is Israel's most important scientific research facility and plays a key role in the research and development of advanced weapons and military technologies.

Established in the 1930s, the institute is named after its founder Chaim Weizmann, a leading figure in the Zionist movement who later became the first president of Israel.

The institute offers master's degree courses and PhD programmes in scientific subjects and hosts hundreds of researchers and students.

However, its strategic value lies in its cutting-edge military R&D, and it has served for decades as a key node in Israel's national security apparatus.

It collaborates with the Israeli army and leading defence firms – such as drone manufacturer Elbit – on the development of advanced technology for a range of military uses.

Over the years it has been made contributions to the development of Israeli drone technology, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and signal intelligence

The institute is thought to have played a role in the development of Israel's clandestine nuclear programme in the 1950s and continues to research nuclear-related technologies to this day.

It has also been known to engage in espionage and foreign intelligence gathering to acquire new technologies.

FBI documents released in 2012 appear to show that the institute covertly accessed the computer systems of a US military weapons testing centre.