Iran and Israel have halted strikes against each other’s territories after hours of dramatic exchanges of strikes.
Both countries announced the suspension of strikes after US President Donald Trump reportedly called for an “immediate” end to the violence.
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Iranian authorities first declared that they were pausing their military operation, after which Prime Minister Netanyahu said that his country’s “fire is on hold for now” but warned that it would not hesitate to respond forcefully if strikes resume.
Tehran also issued a similar warning in its announcement on Monday. The country’s top military command, Khatam al-Anbiya central headquarters, said Iran would respond with a “more severe and forceful response than before” should Israel’s attacks continue, “including in southern Lebanon.”
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The countries began trading strikes on Monday morning, completely shattering the ceasefire and escalating the tension in the region, a day after Iran fired its missile at northern Israel in response to Israel’s attack on Lebanon.
At least two people were killed and 20 wounded in the attack, which affected Dahieh district in the Beirut suburb in Southern Lebanon. Iran accused Israel of crossing “all red lines” following the attack. The IRGC also accused the US and Israel of failing to meet their commitments and of violating the “ceasefire by repeatedly attacking Iranian shores and vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, the Sea of Oman and the Indian Ocean.
“Tonight’s operation was a warning; if aggressions are repeated, the responses will be broader,” it said on Sunday.
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By Monday morning, both Israel and Iran were trading fire. Explosions were reported in Tehran, Tabriz, and Isfahan, after which Israel announced that Iran fired its second wave of strikes into the territory.
Israel’s continued attack on Lebanon had been a source of tension throughout the ceasefire. There had been concerns that Israel’s expanding campaign in Lebanon could affect the US-Iran ceasefire, especially with Tehran insisting that Lebanon be included in a broader ceasefire deal.
However, Mr Trump said the US was “very close” to a deal to end the three-month-long standoff with Iran, which he did not want to put at risk.
He told Axios that he warned Mr Netanyahu that the Israeli leader risked isolating himself with the continued strike against Iran.
“I said, ‘Bibi, you better be careful, or you will be on your own very soon,’” Mr Trump was quoted as saying.
He stated that the five other regional countries were worried about the escalation and asked him to intervene. He, however, did not specify the countries.
Mr Trump also told Axios that Iranian officials had contacted him, saying they would stop if Israel backed off.
“They called us and said that they are not doing any more attacks and asked us to tell Israel not to do any more attacks,” he said.
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