The Israeli military has launched airstrikes on Iran after the Iranians fired missiles at northern Israel in the first exchange of fire between the two countries since a ceasefire was reached on 8 April, raising fears of a return to a full-scale regional war in the Middle East.
Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi rebels also fired at Israel and warned they would target Israeli-affiliated ships in the Red Sea, further escalating tension.
The Israeli strikes came in apparent defiance of Donald Trump, who told Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, that he did not think Israel needed to respond further. He added that Netanyahu did not “call the shots”. In a message on his Truth Social platform on Monday, Trump wrote: “Israel and Iran must immediately stop ‘shooting’. President DONALD J. TRUMP.”
Iranian officials said they did not believe Israel launched its attacks on Iran without the approval of the US, rejecting any suggestion that Netanyahu had defied an instruction from Trump. “No one believes that the Zionist regime would carry out any action without prior coordination and cooperation with the United States,” said Esmaeil Baqaei, a foreign ministry spokesperson.
Israel’s attacks included a strike on an Iranian petrochemical complex. The Israeli military said it had also struck and dismantled Iran’s defence systems deployed across several areas in the country. Iranian state television reported the sound of explosions being heard in Isfahan, Karaj, Tabriz and Tehran. The IRGC said it had targeted two military bases in Israel, describing the attacks as being part of Operation Nasr, or “Victory”.
Houthi rebels announced a missile attack on Israel on Monday, the first since early April, and declared a ban on Israeli shipping in the Red Sea, raising the spectre of a return to significant disruption on the main trade route. “We declare a complete and total ban on Israeli maritime navigation in the Red Sea,” said a statement from the Houthis’ armed forces.
