Iran pauses attacks on Israel after Trump calls on both sides to ‘cease fire’ – National
Israel and Iran exchanged fire on Monday in their first attack since the US agreed to end hostilities with Tehran two months ago. The Iranian military said after a few hours that it stopped the brutal strikes, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that Israel would retaliate with further attacks.
In a videotaped statement, Netanyahu indicated that the current round of fighting is over. But he also warned that if Iran “makes a mistake and goes back to attacking us, we will respond with force.”
Renewed tensions between Israel and Iran have raised concerns that the Middle East could once again return to full-scale war.
Since the US and Israel began attacking Iran on Feb. 28, the war has shaken the world economy, raised electricity prices worldwide and made many basic things, including food, more expensive. Officials have been unable to turn the April ceasefire into an agreement to end the conflict altogether.
In peacetime, Iran continues to occupy the Strait of Hormuz – an important oil and natural gas outlet in the world whose closure is the main reason why global fuel prices are rising. Israel continued to attack Hezbollah, Iran’s ally in Lebanon, and penetrated deeper into that country. On Monday, Yemen’s Houthi rebels, another ally of Iran, fired at Israel and warned they would target Israeli-allied ships in the Red Sea.
With the appearance of little progress in peace talks, Israel and Iran exchanging fire, and the Houthis joining the war, the risk of a full-blown war appears higher than at any time since the ceasefire.
After this new attack, US President Donald Trump wrote on the Internet: “Israel and Iran must immediately stop ‘shooting.'”
Soon after, the joint command of Iran’s military issued its statement. It said that other “violence and hostile actions” carried out by Israel and its allies, including in southern Lebanon, will be met with “difficult and more pressing measures than before.”
Netanyahu said Israel continues to operate in Lebanon against the militant group Hezbollah, an ally of Iran, and that Israel “has the full right to defend itself, and we will use it to the fullest extent necessary.”
Politicians are running to save the ceasefire
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed concern on Monday over the escalation of violence. In a post on X, Sharif urged all concerned to “restrain themselves and give peace a little chance.”
Two regional officials said coordination efforts are underway to salvage the ceasefire.
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Officials from Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Pakistan and Qatar urged the Trump administration to pressure Israel to halt the strikes on Iran and Beirut. They also urged Iranian officials to stop attacking Israel, the officials said. Both spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to reporters.
Trump said that talks on ending hostilities between Israel and Iran are still ongoing, although he did not provide details.
Israel and Iran trade strikes
Iran launched a wave of attacks on Israel on Monday, and Israel began attacking central and western Iran. It was the first shootout since the ceasefire.
Iranian media reported that at least 15 people were injured after explosions in Tehran and other cities. There were no immediate reports of casualties.
The official Fars and Mehr news agencies said Israeli strikes hit a petrochemical plant in the city of Mahshahr. They did not report any damage. The Israeli military confirmed the strike at the facility, saying it was aimed at missile production facilities. Israel said it was also targeting truck-mounted missiles.
Israel said its strikes were in response to an Iranian missile attack. Tehran warned on Sunday that it would retaliate after Israel attacked areas south of Beirut without warning. When Israel fired back, Iran fired back.
Explosions could be heard in central Israel as defense forces tried to block incoming Iranian fire. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said it targeted two military bases in Israel.
Iran has blamed the United States for the escalation.
“No one believes that the state of Israel will take any step without cooperating with the United States,” said Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei told reporters in Tehran.
The White House did not immediately respond to messages about the Israeli strikes.
Tensions seem to be growing between Trump and Netanyahu
Trump and Netanyahu launched the war in a closely coordinated attack, with Israeli officials proud to boast of unprecedented “shoulder to shoulder” cooperation.
The conflict reached 100 days on Monday, and the two leaders have been at each other’s sides, and at times, the differences have come to the fore.
Netanyahu appears to have openly defied Trump for Sunday’s strike in Beirut and the subsequent attack on Iran. Trump has voiced his displeasure with Israel, including disparaging Netanyahu by declaring in the Financial Times that “I call all the shots.”
Their differences seem to be centered on the thinking of each leader at home. Netanyahu is facing elections this fall and is under public pressure to retaliate against Hezbollah’s ongoing offensive in northern Israel. He is wary of appearing too condescending to Trump.
Meanwhile, the US president is also facing elections – for Congress in November – and is determined to end the war that has crippled the world economy and raised prices for consumers.
The Houthis say they are attacking Israel
Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels said they attacked Israel on Monday and said Israeli ships would be attacked again in the Red Sea, endangering the waterway and the Gulf of Aden and the narrow Bab el-Mandeb Strait that connects them. The statement of Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree was broadcast on the Houthis’ al-Masirah satellite news channel.
The Houthis made a similar threat during the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip and launched an attack that killed at least nine sailors and sank four ships. They often targeted ships with or without strong ties to Israel.
The attack boosted shipping in the Red Sea, through which about $1 trillion worth of goods passed each year before the war.
