US President Donald Trump has called on Israel and Iran to halt hostilities and pursue an immediate ceasefire after the two countries exchanged direct strikes for the first time since a ceasefire agreement took effect in April.
The renewed confrontation began after Iran launched missiles at northern Israel, prompting Israeli air strikes on targets in western and central Iran. The exchange marked the first direct attacks by the two regional rivals on each other’s territory since the truce was reached several months ago.
In a social media post, Trump urged both sides to end the violence, telling Israel and Iran to stop “shooting”. He later said the two countries were “looking to do an immediate ceasefire”.
The Israeli military said “dozens” of fighter jets had carried out strikes against Iranian defence systems in response to the missile barrage from Iran.
Iran, however, signalled that further military action could follow, describing its attack as “the beginning of a full week of continuous strikes”.
Tehran said its missile launches came after Israel conducted air strikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs on Sunday. Israel said those operations targeted positions linked to the Lebanese group Hezbollah after rockets were fired from Lebanon into Israeli territory.
The latest exchange has heightened concerns about the possibility of a broader regional conflict involving Iran, Israel and armed groups aligned with Tehran across the Middle East.
Trump had reportedly urged Israel not to retaliate against Iran before the strikes were carried out, warning against further military action as diplomatic efforts continued behind the scenes.
The renewed hostilities have ended months of relative calm between Israel and Iran and added to uncertainty across a region already grappling with multiple conflicts and security challenges.Faridah Abdulkadiri
