Israel Strikes Iran Despite Trump Plea as Middle East Tensions Escalate
The Guardian reported Monday that Israel launched airstrikes against central and western Iran, defying direct appeals from President Donald Trump to hold fire and allow diplomacy to proceed.
The assault marked the first direct exchange of strikes between the two adversaries since a ceasefire halted the US-Israel conflict with Iran in April.
How the Exchange Unfolded
The latest cycle of violence began when Israel bombed a target in southern Beirut, killing two people and wounding around 20 others. Israel said the strike hit a militant command center in the Dahiyeh district, a response to Hezbollah drone and missile fire at Israeli army positions early Sunday.
Iran responded by firing roughly ten ballistic missiles at northern Israel. Israeli military officials said all incoming projectiles were either intercepted or landed in uninhabited areas.
Israel then launched air-delivered ballistic missiles at multiple Iranian cities, including Tehran, Isfahan, Karaj and Tabriz. Iranian state television confirmed explosions across those locations. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards acknowledged the Israeli method of attack and Tehran shut down airspace around Imam Khomeini International Airport, its largest civilian airfield.
Background: A Fragile Ceasefire Under Strain
April’s ceasefire had paused what had become a direct US-backed Israeli military campaign against Iran. That pause is now under severe pressure. Yemen’s Houthi rebels, who entered the wider conflict in March in solidarity with Tehran, fired a fresh missile at Israel on Monday. Saudi Arabia also activated missile alert sirens near Prince Sultan Air Base, which hosts American forces, signaling anxiety across the Gulf.
Iran’s parliament speaker and chief negotiator with Washington accused the US of effectively endorsing the Beirut strike by giving Israel a quiet green light, and warned that American and Israeli assets could face retaliation.
Trump Caught Between Allies and Diplomacy
Hours before Israel struck Iran, Trump called Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and urged him to delay any reprisal, according to a senior US official who spoke on condition of anonymity. Trump reportedly believed he had persuaded Netanyahu to stand down. He had not.
Trump told reporters he was unhappy with the Beirut bombing, insisting it was not coordinated with Washington. He also reiterated that he, not Netanyahu, sets policy in the region. The White House did not respond to questions about whether Monday’s Iran strikes were conducted with American knowledge.
The episode exposed the limits of Washington’s influence over its closest regional partner at a moment when broader negotiations remain unresolved.
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