Iran says it has halted attacks on Israel after first exchange of fire since truce
Iran's armed forces say they have halted military operations against Israel after the two countries exchanged strikes for the first time since April's ceasefire. The Khatam ol-Anbiya command said Iran had delivered a "painful response" to Israel and warned against continued attacks, including in southern Lebanon, where Israeli forces are fighting the Iranian-backed group Hezbollah. The latest exchange has raised fresh doubts about whether the truce can hold and whether diplomacy can prevent a wider regional escalation.
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The immediate sequence began after Iran launched about 30 missiles at Israel in retaliation for a strike in Beirut on Sunday. Israel then responded with two waves of air strikes in Iran, according to the supplied material. An Israeli official told Channel 12 that Israel had halted strikes on Iran at the request of the US president, but said attacks on southern Lebanon would continue.
The White House confirmed that Donald Trump called Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss the crisis. Trump urged both sides on Monday to "immediately stop 'shooting'" because the fighting was jeopardising negotiations on a deal to end the regional war. He also wrote that Israel and Iran were looking to do an immediate ceasefire and that final negotiations on peace were proceeding.
The supplied material says the exchange involved military action on multiple fronts, with Israel also continuing operations in southern Lebanon. That makes the current pause, if it holds, only partial and potentially temporary. The significance of the latest fighting lies in the overlap between military escalation and diplomacy.
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The strikes came as the United States was pressing for room to negotiate a wider deal with Iran, while Iran has demanded that any agreement also cover the conflict in Lebanon. The involvement of Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran, means the confrontation is not limited to a bilateral dispute but is tied to a broader regional conflict. The risk for markets is also clear, given the earlier effect of the war on the Strait of Hormuz and oil prices.
The supplied material says the war began on 28 February when Israel and the United States launched a joint attack on Iran, killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several other top officials. It says hostilities then spread across the Middle East, with Iran firing missiles and drones at Israel and Gulf Arab states hosting US military facilities. Iran also effectively blocked the Strait of Hormuz, causing a surge in oil prices.
Pakistan brokered a ceasefire that began on 7 April to facilitate negotiations on a comprehensive deal, but there have been sporadic US air strikes on Iran and Iranian drone and missile attacks on neighbouring states since then. Lebanon was drawn into the conflict on 2 March, when Hezbollah launched rockets into Israel in retaliation for Khamenei's assassination, according to the supplied material. Israel responded with air strikes across Lebanon and a ground invasion of part of the country's south.
The fighting continued after a US-brokered ceasefire deal between the Israeli and Lebanese governments on 16 April. In recent weeks, the United States has been pressing Israel to scale back its campaign to allow room for a wider deal with Iran, while Iran has demanded that Lebanon be included in any settlement. The latest exchange also underlines the role of key military and political actors.
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The Khatam ol-Anbiya command issued Iran's statement on halting operations, while Israeli officials said their response was shaped in part by US pressure. Trump has publicly pushed for an immediate stop to the shooting, and the White House said he spoke directly with Netanyahu. Hezbollah remains central to the wider confrontation because Israeli operations in Lebanon are aimed at the group, and Iran sees it as its closest ally there.
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