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By Steve Mollman, Jason Lemon, and Brendan Cole
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The Israeli military said it had carried out strikes on Iran after the Islamic Republic launched ballistic missiles into northern Israel, reigniting hostilities for the first time since an April ceasefire and raising fresh doubts over already fragile U.S.-brokered negotiations.
Following the resumption of hostilities, President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social: "Israel and Iran must immediately stop 'shooting' adding in a follow-up post that both sides "are looking to do an immediate CEASEFIRE.”
Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya joint military command said later on Monday the armed forces had stopped operations against Israel. In turn, Israel said it had halted strikes on Iran at the request of Trump but warned it could target Beirut's southern suburbs if Hezbollah attacks on Israeli towns continue, the Israeli Channel 12 reported.
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The Israeli military had earlier said it carried out strikes against Iranian targets following what it described as incoming "missiles launched from Iran toward the territory of the State of Israel," adding that "defensive systems are operating to intercept the threat."
Iran's missile attacks followed Israeli strikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs on Sunday, which Iran had warned would draw retaliation.
The exchange threatened to unravel efforts by the Trump administration to secure a longer-term settlement with Iran, 100 days after the U.S. and Israel launched their offensive against Iran on February 28. Israel’s latest strikes came despite Trump publicly and privately urging restraint.
"I call all the shots, he doesn’t call the shots," Trump said of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in an interview with the Financial Times, underscoring tensions between Washington and Israel over how to respond to Iran.
Trump also said on Truth Social on Monday that a U.S. blockade of Iranian ports in place since April would remain in effect until a final deal with Tehran is reached.
What Happened: First Direct Exchange Since Ceasefire
Israeli airstrikes on Beirut Sunday were part of its ongoing military campaign against Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militant group based in Lebanon.
Iran launched ballistic missiles toward Israel late Sunday, marking its first direct attack since the April ceasefire.
Israeli air defenses intercepted many of the projectiles, and there were no immediate reports of casualties.
Within hours, Israel launched air strikes against targets in Iran, including sites in western and central parts of the country, in what officials described as a limited retaliatory operation.
By Monday, multiple waves of missiles had been exchanged, with Iranian strikes continuing and Israel launching additional operations—an escalation that analysts say could quickly spiral if either side broadens its targeting.
Newsweek has contacted the White House for comment.
Why This Matters Now
The escalation raises doubts about the prospect of an imminent peace deal, and comes at a precarious time, as:
- Iran’s allies, including Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen, have already been drawn into the conflict, expanding its geographic scope
- The April truce ended more than five weeks of intense fighting, but left core disputes unresolved
- The U.S. has been attempting to negotiate a broader deal limiting Iran’s nuclear ambitions while de‑escalating regional conflict
Trump expressed disapproval of Israel's recent operations in Beirut on Sunday, stating he was "not happy about it."
Trump’s Warning—and Israel’s Response
Trump had urged Netanyahu not to retaliate after the Iranian missile barrage, arguing that escalation could derail negotiations.
"What I would suggest to Iran: You’ve shot your missiles, that’s enough. Get back to the table and make a deal," Trump said in an interview with Fox News on Sunday.
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He also told American media he planned to call Netanyahu and tell him "not to strike back," signaling the administration’s preference for containment over retaliation.
Despite that pressure, Israel proceeded with strikes, highlighting a growing divergence between U.S. diplomatic strategy and Israeli military priorities.
The Trump administration has been actively engaged in talks with Iranian officials to secure a broader agreement to permanently end the conflict. However, negotiations have repeatedly stalled, with both nations trading accusations regarding enforcement and preconditions.
Iran’s Position: Escalation as Deterrence
Iran has framed its missile launches as a response to Israeli strikes, particularly attacks Hezbollah positions in Lebanon.
Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson, Esmail Baghaei, said the U.S. was responsible for the recent ceasefire breaches and that "the actions of the Zionist entity within the region cannot be looked at in isolation from the United States."
He said Iran would not allow Israel or the United States to repeatedly carry out attacks while continuing to declare their commitment to a ceasefire.
Officials in Tehran have warned that further Israeli actions could trigger sustained retaliation. Statements from Iranian authorities suggest they see escalation as a tool to force concessions or deter additional strikes.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has warned that "this operation is not a passing event, but rather the beginning of a full week of continuous strikes."
It added: "Waves of missiles and drones will continue to be launched around the clock for the next seven days until the enemy is deterred and ceases its crimes."
Regional Ripple Effects
In the wider region, tensions remain high in:
- Yemen: Iran-backed Houthi forces launched missiles toward Israel and threatened shipping in the Red Sea
- Gulf waters: Tensions around the Strait of Hormuz—a key global oil chokepoint—are again rising, with prior disruptions already affecting energy markets
Earlier in the conflict, disruptions to shipping through the Strait contributed to global energy price volatility, underscoring how quickly regional fighting can produce worldwide economic consequences.
Retaliatory Strikes and Diplomatic Stalls
Iran International, an independent news outlet, posted footage on social media Monday of what it said were missile trails above the Iranian cities of Isfahan, Najafabad and Kermanshah.
The IRGC said on Monday it had launched missiles at industrial facilities in Haifa in response to what it described as a US- and Israeli-backed strike on one of Iran’s petrochemical plants.
The IRGC said Israel had started a "dangerous game" by targeting energy infrastructure and civilian sites, warning of further retaliation against energy targets across the region.
The U.S. has blamed Iran for the resumption in hostilities, with the U.S. ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, posting on X early Monday: "Iran & its proxy agents of evil want to incinerate America & Israel. Mothership of Satan is in Tehran."
The IDF launched strikes on targets at an Iranian petrochemical facility in Mahshahr, in the southwest of the country, according to media in both countries.
Meanwhile, in an interview that aired Sunday on NBC News' Meet the Press, Trump said the U.S. was prepared to resume military operations against Iran should ongoing diplomatic efforts falter.
The president told Kristen Welker that his administration would either secure a comprehensive agreement to halt Tehran’s nuclear ambitions or "blow the hell out of them."
Ceasefire at Risk
Iran's parliamentary speaker and chief peace negotiator, Mohammed Baqer Qalibaf, said U.S. bases and Israeli assets were now legitimate targets due to hostile acts, including the "violation of agreements over Lebanon."
"They showed that they only understand the language of power," he wrote on X on Sunday.
Qalibaf also cited the ongoing U.S. naval presence in the Strait of Hormuz, saying: "The naval blockade against the Iranian nation and America's green light today to the Zionist regime turn American and regime bases and assets in the region into legitimate targets."
While Tehran had refrained from targeting Israel directly since the implementation of the ceasefire, its proxy, Hezbollah has continued to execute strikes.
The U.S. and Israel launched a coordinated offensive against Iran on February 28, triggering weeks of intense fighting that killed thousands and rattled global markets.
Iran responded with waves of missile and drone attacks targeting Israel and U.S.-aligned countries in the Gulf, escalating tensions across the region.
The fallout extended to global energy markets, with Iran restricting traffic through the Strait of Hormuz—disrupting flows and helping push energy prices higher as transit through the route remained constrained.
Since early April, both sides had observed a fragile truce while the Trump administration has been seeking a broader agreement with Iran, though negotiations have yet to produce a breakthrough.
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said on Sunday Tehran would likely seek to use the threat of a resumption of full-scale war to deter additional Israeli attacks.
"Iran has almost certainly observed discussions and leaks in Western media about the increasing tension between Trump and Netanyahu over Israeli strikes in Lebanon and Trump’s fears that Israeli actions in Lebanon will cause US-Iran negotiations to collapse," said the U.S. think tank.
What Happens Next
The immediate risk is a cycle of escalation: Iran has signaled it may continue missile attacks, while Israel has demonstrated its willingness to strike inside Iranian territory.
Diplomatically, the stakes are equally high. Trump's administration is attempting to balance pressure on Iran with efforts to secure a long-term agreement. Continued military exchanges could undermine those talks entirely.
At the same time, regional actors, from Hezbollah to the Houthis, may seize on the instability to expand their own operations, raising the prospect of a broader multi-front conflict.
For now, the situation remains fluid, with each new strike increasing the risk that the ceasefire collapses completely—turning a contained confrontation back into a wider Middle East war.
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