US President Donald Trump on Monday called on Israel and Iran to immediately stop exchanging fire, saying in a post on Truth Social that “Israel and Iran must immediately stop ‘shooting'” as tensions remained high despite ongoing diplomatic efforts.
Israel and Iran traded fire early Monday in retaliatory strikes that threatened to drag the wider Middle East back into a full-scale regional war. It was the first exchange of fire since an April 8 ceasefire was reached.
Hours after Israel struck Beirut’s southern suburbs, the conflict took another dangerous turn. Air raid sirens wailed across parts of northern Israel on Sunday night as Iran launched ballistic missiles, marking its first direct attack on Israel since a ceasefire took effect on April 8.
The Israeli military said it detected missiles launched from Iran and immediately activated air defense systems. Sirens sounded in several areas as authorities warned residents of the incoming threat.
In the first reported strike on an energy site inside Iran since the April 8 ceasefire, Israel retaliated by targeting facilities at the Mahshahr petrochemical complex. A provincial official told Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency that parts of the plant suffered damage.
The Israeli military later announced a large-scale strike on Iranian defense systems aimed at dismantling air defense capabilities that Tehran had been deploying.
Israeli Ambassador to Washington Yechiel Leiter said on X that Iran fired 11 ballistic missiles at Israel. He described Iran’s leadership as a “maniacal Iranian regime” and said Israel was targeting Iranian surface-to-surface missile launch sites and infrastructure facilities.
Also Read: Trump warns Iran time running out as ceasefire drags
In a brief statement, Israel’s defense forces said they struck several targets at Mahshahr. Iranian state media reported that authorities ordered employees to evacuate the facility. Officials reported no injuries and were assessing the damage. State media added that five production lines at the complex had been hit since the Iran war began on February 28.
The strikes come days after Trump reportedly urged Netanyahu to avoid further strikes during a telephone conversation that lasted less than half an hour on Sunday. An Israeli official said Trump spoke with Netanyahu from his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, but did not disclose details of the discussion.
According to a US official quoted by Axios, Trump told Netanyahu to hold off on additional attacks because “we are close to doing something good in terms of a deal.”
Since negotiations began, Israel has continued attacks in Lebanon in its conflict with Hezbollah, which Israeli officials insist remains separate from any ceasefire arrangement involving Iran.
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