Iran and Israel exchanged strikes over the weekend, raising new doubts over the future of a fragile ceasefire between Tehran and Washington as tensions across the Middle East continue to intensify.
Iran fired missiles towards Israel on Sunday, marking its first reported attack on the country since the temporary truce took effect in early April. Israel responded hours later with strikes on military targets in western and central Iran.
The Israeli military said its defensive systems were activated after the missiles were detected. It later announced that it had “struck military targets belonging to the Iranian terror regime in western and central Iran a short while ago.”
The latest escalation comes amid continuing unrest in Lebanon, where Israel has been fighting Iran-backed Hezbollah. Tehran has repeatedly argued that any ceasefire agreement must extend beyond its direct confrontation with the United States.
Iranian Parliamentary Speaker MB Ghalibaf accused Washington of breaching the terms of the truce through its “naval blockade and violation of agreements regarding Lebanon.” He also warned that ongoing military action in the region had made “American and regime bases and assets in the region into legitimate targets.”
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said the ceasefire “was conditional on a cease-fire on all fronts.”
“Tonight’s operation was a warning, and if aggressions are repeated, the responses will be broader,” the group said.
The White House confirmed that U.S. President Donald Trump had been briefed on the renewed violence. Speaking to Fox News, Trump said the missile attacks were “certainly not going to help negotiations.”
Reports indicated that Trump planned to urge Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to avoid retaliating, although Israel ultimately proceeded with its strikes.
The latest developments have complicated efforts to secure a broader agreement. Iran has demanded an end to hostilities in Lebanon and the removal of U.S. restrictions affecting its ports and ships. Washington, meanwhile, wants Tehran to hand over its nuclear material and commit to never obtaining a nuclear weapon.
An Iranian official linked to the negotiations suggested that the prospects of a deal had significantly worsened, saying “a deal with President Trump is no longer feasible at this stage.”