Israel and Iran exchange new strikes as ceasefire fears deepen across the Middle East
Israel and Iran traded fresh strikes on Monday as a fragile regional ceasefire came under renewed pressure, raising fears that the Middle East could again be pulled towards a wider war.
The latest escalation began after Israel launched early morning airstrikes on military targets in central and western Iran. The Israeli military said the operation came in response to missile fire from Tehran, despite earlier calls from US President Donald Trump for Israel to avoid immediate retaliation.
Iranian state TV reported explosions in Isfahan, Karaj, Tabriz and Tehran. A witness in the Iranian capital described hearing at least one large blast west of the city. After the Israeli attack, Iran closed the airspace around Tehran’s Imam Khomeini International Airport, the country’s main airfield.
The violence quickly spilt back towards Israel. Multiple explosions were heard over Jerusalem later on Monday after Israel said a new wave of Iranian missiles had been launched. The Israeli military said it had identified missiles fired from Iran and was working to intercept them.
Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard said Israel had used air-launched ballistic missiles in the attack on Iran. Israel gave only limited details about its operation, saying its air force had struck military targets belonging to what it called the Iranian terror regime in western and central Iran.
The exchange came despite diplomatic pressure from Washington. US officials said Trump had spoken with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and urged him not to retaliate immediately after Iran’s missile launches. Those Iranian attacks had already shaken the fragile ceasefire that had been in place since April.
Tensions widened further when Yemen’s Houthi rebels claimed an attack on Israel. A statement from Brig Gen Yahya Saree, broadcast on the Houthis’ al-Masirah satellite news channel, said Israel-affiliated vessels would again become targets in the Red Sea. Israel’s military said a missile had been launched from Yemen towards Israeli territory and that its air defence systems were operating to intercept the threat. Rescue services reported no casualties or impacts.
The European Union also appealed for restraint. Kaja Kallas, the EU’s top diplomat, said the region did not need further escalation and urged the parties to return to negotiations.
The latest wave of attacks followed Israeli strikes on Beirut’s southern suburb of Dahiyeh, where Israel said it targeted Hezbollah infrastructure despite the truce agreement with Lebanon. Lebanon’s health ministry said two people were killed and 20 others were wounded in Beirut.
Iran’s attacks appeared to be a response to those strikes. The barrage marked the first such Iranian attack since the ceasefire took effect in early April. Iran’s parliament speaker, Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf, said US bases and assets in the region were now legitimate targets.
The crisis also hit global markets. Oil prices jumped by more than 3% after Iran’s strikes, with Brent crude rising 3.29% to $96.15 a barrel in early trading on Monday.
Another flashpoint emerged around the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s ambassador to Moscow, Kazem Jalali, told the Russian newspaper Izvestia that the strait would open under new conditions set by Iran and Oman, including a transit fee. Trump strongly opposes that position.
The US president also told the Financial Times that Netanyahu would have no choice but to accept any deal Washington negotiated with Iran, saying he called the shots.
For now, the ceasefire remains under severe strain. With Israel, Iran, Yemen’s Houthis, Hezbollah-linked tensions in Lebanon and global oil markets all pulled into the same crisis, Monday’s attacks have left the region facing a dangerous and uncertain moment.