DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Israel and Iran traded fire Monday in their first attacks since the U.S. struck a ceasefire with Tehran two months ago. The Iranian military said hours later that it was halting offensive operations as the renewed hostilities threatened to drag the Middle East back into a full-scale war .
The U.S. told Iran there would be no more attacks by Israel if Iran halted its missile strikes, and that Israel has agreed to halt attacks for now, according to a regional official who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.
The White House and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Since the U.S. and Israel began striking Iran on Feb. 28, the war has shaken the global economy , driven energy prices up around the world and made many basics, including food , more expensive. Officials have been unable to turn the April ceasefire into a deal to permanently end the conflict.
During the truce, Iran has maintained its stranglehold on the Strait of Hormuz — a crucial passage for the world’s oil and natural gas whose closure was the primary reason global fuel prices skyrocketed. Israel has continued to strike Hezbollah, Iran’s ally in Lebanon, and pushed deeper into that country . And on Monday, Yemen’s Houthi rebels, another Iranian ally, fired at Israel and warned they would target Israel-affiliated ships in the Red Sea.
With little apparent progress in peace talks, Israel and Iran exchanging fire, and the Houthis joining the fight , the risk of the war fully erupting again appeared higher than at any point since the ceasefire.
In the wake of the new attacks, U.S. President Donald Trump wrote online: “Israel and Iran must immediately stop ‘shooting.’”
Shortly after, the Iranian military’s joint command issued its statement. It said further “aggression and hostile acts” by Israel and its supporters, including in southern Lebanon, would be met with “much more severe and crushing measures than before.”
A projectile streaks through the sky over central Israel during an Iranian missile attack, on June 7, 2026. AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg
Diplomats Are Racing To Save The Ceasefire
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed concern Monday over the surge in violence. In a post on X, Sharif urged all parties to “exercise restraint and give peace a little more chance.”
Two regional officials said diplomatic efforts were underway to salvage the ceasefire.
Officials from Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Pakistan and Qatar urged the Trump administration to pressure Israel to halt strikes on Iran and Beirut . They also urged Iranian officials to stop attacks on Israel, the officials said. Both spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to reporters.
Trump said talks were ongoing for a ceasefire between Israel and Iran, though he gave no details.
Iran launched waves of attacks on Israel on Monday, and Israel launched strikes on central and western Iran. It was their first exchange of fire since the ceasefire.
Iranian state television reported the sound of explosions in Tehran and other cities. Iran closed the airspace around Tehran’s Imam Khomeini International Airport after the Israeli attack.
The semiofficial Fars and Mehr news agencies said Israeli strikes hit a petrochemical factory in the city of Mahshahr. They did not elaborate on any damage. The Israeli military confirmed the strike on the plant, saying it targeted sites that produce materials for ballistic missiles. Israel said it also targeted truck-based missile launchers.
Israel said its strikes were in response to an Iranian missile attack. Tehran warned Sunday that it would retaliate after Israel struck Beirut’s southern suburbs without warning. When Israel struck back, Iran fired again.
Explosions could be heard in central Israel as air defenses sought to intercept incoming Iranian fire. Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard said it had targeted two military bases in Israel.
Iran blamed the United States for the escalation.
“No one believes that the Israeli regime would take any action without coordination with the United States,” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei told journalists in Tehran.
The White House did not immediately respond to messages about Israel’s strikes.
Tensions Appear To Be Growing Between Trump And Netanyahu
Trump and Netanyahu launched the war in a closely coordinated attack , with Israeli officials proudly boasting of unprecedented “shoulder to shoulder” cooperation. The conflict reached 100 days on Monday.
But since the first strikes, the two men have moved in opposite directions, with tensions sometimes spilling out into the open . Netanyahu appears to have openly defied Trump with the strike Sunday in Beirut and subsequent attacks in Iran. Trump has voiced his displeasure with Israel, including belittling Netanyahu by declaring to the Financial Times that “…
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