Israel and Iran agree to pause missile exchanges amid broader regional tensions
Both nations said they would halt attacks for now, while warning that further hostilities could resume if conditions change.
Israel and Iran each announced on Monday that they would suspend missile attacks after a brief exchange that raised tensions across the Middle East. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel’s strikes against Iran were on hold, but warned that any renewed Iranian aggression would be met with force in self-defense. Defense Minister Israel Katz added that Israeli forces would continue operations in Lebanon against Hezbollah.
Iran’s military said it was pausing its missile barrage, which had targeted three Israeli air bases, after claiming Israel had “learned a lesson.” Tehran warned that continued Israeli actions in Lebanon would prompt “much harsher and more forceful actions.”
The announcements followed a social-media appeal by former U.S. President Donald Trump urging both sides to stop shooting and pursue a ceasefire. Trump also told the Financial Times that he had urged Netanyahu not to retaliate.
During the exchange, Iran launched nearly 30 ballistic missiles, which the Israeli military said it intercepted. Debris caused brush fires, but no injuries or damage were reported. Israel temporarily closed schools as a precaution.
In response, Israel carried out air strikes on Iranian air-defense sites and a petrochemical complex in Mahshahr, evacuating plant workers. Iranian media reported explosions in Tehran, Isfahan and Tabriz, and temporary airport closures.
Separately, the Iran-backed Houthi movement in Yemen claimed to have fired missiles at Israel and warned against Israeli-linked ships in the Red Sea, though no hits were confirmed.
The ceasefire that began on April 8 has been strained by recent missile and drone attacks involving the United States, Iran, Israel, Hezbollah and other regional actors, complicating diplomatic efforts to end the broader conflict.
