Iran’s armed forces say they have suspended military operations against Israel after both sides exchanged strikes in a sharp escalation not seen since the April ceasefire.
The Khatam ol-Anbiya command stated that Iran had delivered what it described as a “painful response” to Israel and warned Tel Aviv against further attacks, including operations in southern Lebanon where Israeli forces are still engaged with the Iran-backed Hezbollah group.
An Israeli official speaking to Channel 12 said Israel had also paused its strikes on Iran following a request from the US president, though operations in southern Lebanon would continue.
According to reports, Iran fired around 30 missiles at Israel in retaliation for a strike in Beirut on Sunday. In response, Israel carried out two waves of air strikes inside Iran.
US President Donald Trump urged both countries on Monday to “immediately stop ‘shooting’” as he warned that continued hostilities were undermining efforts to secure a broader regional peace deal.
“Israel and Iran… are looking to do an immediate CEASEFIRE! Final negotiations on ‘Peace’ are proceeding, subject to ignorance or stupidity getting in its way,” he wrote on Truth Social.
The White House confirmed that President Trump spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the escalating situation.
The conflict originally began on 28 February, when Israel and the US launched a joint attack on Iran that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several senior officials, according to earlier reports cited in the timeline.
Since then, the war has rapidly expanded across the Middle East. Iran responded with missile and drone attacks on Israel and Gulf Arab states hosting US military facilities, while also disrupting the Strait of Hormuz, triggering a surge in global oil prices.
Pakistan later brokered a ceasefire that took effect on 7 April, aimed at enabling negotiations toward a comprehensive settlement, although sporadic attacks have continued, including US strikes on Iran and Iranian retaliatory actions in neighbouring states.
Lebanon was drawn into the wider conflict on 2 March after Hezbollah launched rockets into Israel following Khamenei’s assassination.
Israel responded with sustained air strikes and a ground incursion into southern Lebanon.
Although a US-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon was agreed on 16 April, fighting has continued intermittently.
In recent weeks, Washington has pressed Israel to reduce its military activity to support wider negotiations with Iran, which has insisted that Lebanon be included in any final agreement.
While Israel maintains its campaign against Hezbollah is separate, it has largely avoided heavy strikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs, known as Dahieh, a stronghold of the group.
Tensions flared again when Israel and Lebanon agreed last Wednesday to renew their ceasefire and establish pilot security zones in southern Lebanon, where Hezbollah activity would be restricted.
Hezbollah rejected the arrangement, demanding full Israeli withdrawal, while Israel vowed to continue operations in the area and warned Beirut could be targeted if northern Israeli communities were attacked.
On Sunday morning, the Israel Defense Forces said it intercepted two projectiles fired from Lebanon, which Hezbollah claimed were aimed at Israeli artillery positions and troops near the border.
Hours later, the IDF struck a Hezbollah command centre in Dahieh, killing two people and injuring 20, according to Lebanon’s health ministry.
Hezbollah’s actions prompted a strong warning from Iranian military leadership, with a senior commander accusing Israel of “crossing all red lines” and threatening a “devastating” response.
Shortly after, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced missile launches targeting northern Israel, including the Ramat David airbase near Nazareth.
“Tonight’s operation was a warning. If aggressions are repeated, the responses will be broader,” the IRGC said.
The IDF reported intercepting two waves of incoming missiles.
Iran’s parliamentary speaker and chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, also declared that Israeli and US assets were “legitimate targets” due to what he described as violations linked to Lebanon-related agreements.
In the early hours of Monday, the IDF said it had carried out air strikes involving dozens of aircraft targeting military infrastructure in western and central Iran, focusing on aerial defence systems deployed since the ceasefire period.
Explosions were reported in multiple Iranian cities including Tehran, Isfahan, Najafabad and Tabriz, according to state media.
“The Iranian terror regime once again chose terrorism and is attempting to create a new equation,” IDF spokesman Brig Gen Effie Defrin said.
The strikes reportedly went ahead despite US President Trump urging Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to refrain from retaliation, according to Axios, which cited senior US officials saying Washington was close to securing a diplomatic breakthrough.
Trump was also quoted as saying Netanyahu would have to accept any US-brokered agreement, adding, “I call all the shots. He doesn’t call the shots.”
Israel’s ambassador to the US, Yechiel Leiter, defended the response, writing on X: “No self-respecting country in the world would tolerate such an attack, and neither will Israel.”
Later, Iran launched additional missile attacks toward Jerusalem and central and southern Israel, according to Israeli authorities.
Damage was reported to buildings near the Itamar outpost in the occupied West Bank following missile interception activity.
The IDF also said it struck a petrochemical facility in Mahshahr in southwestern Iran, alleging it was linked to production of materials used in ballistic missiles. Iranian media confirmed damage to parts of the Karun Petrochemical Company.
The conflict further widened when Yemen’s Houthis launched missiles toward Israel and announced a “total ban on Israeli maritime navigation” in the Red Sea. Israeli officials said one missile failed to reach its target.
The Houthis, who entered the war in support of Iran in March, had not claimed a strike since the earlier ceasefire period.
Casualty figures remain heavy. Iran’s Martyrs Foundation reports at least 3,468 deaths in the country, while HRANA places the toll at 3,636, including 1,701 civilians. Lebanon’s health ministry says 3,613 people have been killed in Israeli strikes since the conflict escalated.
Israeli authorities report 20 civilian deaths from Iranian missile attacks, along with additional casualties in the occupied West Bank and along the Lebanon border involving Hezbollah clashes.
Regional governments in Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates report 29 deaths linked to Iranian attacks, while US sources say 13 service members have been killed, including seven in Gulf-related incidents.
