Israel and Iran traded retaliatory strikes on Monday morning, completely shattering the ceasefire and escalating the tension in the region.
Iran fired the first salvo late on Sunday, saying it was in retaliation for fatal Israeli strikes on Lebanon. Israel retaliated with air strikes, and explosions were reported in Tehran, Tabriz and Isfahan. Israel then announced that Iran fired its second wave of strikes into the territory.
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PREMIUM TIMES reports that tension between both countries escalated after Israel fired missile strikes into the Dahieh district, a suburb in Southern Lebanon, which Tehran considers a violation of the fragile ceasefire agreement. At least two people were killed and 20 wounded in the attacks on the Beirut suburb, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry.
Israel’s continued attacks 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.
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Following the attack on Lebanon on Sunday, Iran accused Israel of crossing “all red lines” by targeting the southern suburbs of Beirut and warned of a broader response if attacks continued.
This paper reported that the IRGC 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,” the IRGC said.
The Iran-allied Houthis in Yemen also entered the fray, saying they had fired drones at Israel and would prevent Israeli-linked ships from crossing the Red Sea.
Before the latest strikes, US President Trump had promised to prevent the war tension from escalating into another regional war. He noted that he had reached Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the phone and urged him to “hold off for the time being”
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He told NBC News he was not demanding that Lebanon be part of any peace deal with Iran while claiming that an agreement with Iran was near.
“I think they’d like to see it, but I’m not demanding,” Mr Trump said in the interview recorded on Friday. We’re very close to a deal, or I’m going to blow the hell out of them [Iran],” he said.
Mr Trump also told The Financial Times before Israel hit Iran that he had dictated terms to Mr Netanyahu on how the war should be prosecuted.
“He won’t have any choice,” Mr Trump said over the telephone. He also declared that he calls “all the shots,” not Mr Netanyahu.
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