Iran launched ballistic missiles at Israel on Sunday in retaliation for Israeli airstrikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs, shattering a fragile ceasefire and escalating tensions to their highest since April. The Israel Defense Forces reported that all missiles were intercepted or landed in open areas, with no casualties.
The strikes came after a senior Iranian official promised a “decisive and painful” response to Israel’s bombing of two apartment buildings in the Dahieh district, a Hezbollah stronghold. Lebanon’s state news agency reported two dead and 11 wounded. Israel said it targeted “terrorist headquarters” in response to Hezbollah rocket fire.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned the attack was “the beginning of a full week of continuous strikes,” with waves of missiles and drones to follow. Tehran had previously threatened that any Israeli strike on Beirut would violate the US-Iran ceasefire and trigger retaliation.
US President Donald Trump urged Israel not to retaliate, telling Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu it would “not help” negotiations with Iran. Trump claimed a peace deal with Tehran was “very close” and urged Iran to return to the table, saying, “You’ve shot your missiles, that’s enough.”
Iran’s parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, declared US bases in the region “legitimate targets” after the Israeli attack, accusing Israel of violating agreements. The strikes on Beirut followed Hezbollah’s rejection of a ceasefire proposal agreed by Lebanon and Israel.
