Israel Launches Fresh Airstr!kes On Iran Despite Trump’s Appeal For Restraint
Israel Launches Fresh Airstrikes On Iran Despite Trump’s Appeal For Restraint
The development came amid rapidly escalating tensions involving Israel, Iran and Lebanon, with fears growing that the conflict could spiral into a wider regional war affecting critical energy infrastructure across the Middle East.
Israel on Monday carried out fresh airstrikes on targets inside Iran despite a reported appeal by United States President, Donald Trump, urging Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, not to retaliate further following Tehran’s latest missile attacks.
The development came amid rapidly escalating tensions involving Israel, Iran and Lebanon, with fears growing that the conflict could spiral into a wider regional war affecting critical energy infrastructure across the Middle East.
According to reports aired by RT, Israeli fighter jets struck multiple locations in Iran, including Tehran, Isfahan, Tabriz and Karaj, shortly after Trump reportedly held a phone conversation with Netanyahu and urged restraint.
The attacks followed an Iranian missile barrage launched against Israel in retaliation for intensive Israeli bombardments targeting Beirut’s southern suburbs on Sunday.
Iran described its missile attack as a “warning” and cautioned that further Israeli military action would attract what it called “more crushing and regrettable blows.”
A senior Israeli official, quoted by Israel’s Channel 12 television, later claimed Israel had agreed to halt additional attacks on Iran at Trump’s request.
The official, who was not identified, however warned that Israel could intensify military operations in Lebanon if attacks by Hezbollah continued.
“If Hezbollah attacks on Israeli towns continue, Israel will attack the southern suburbs of Beirut,” the official reportedly said, as quoted by Al Jazeera.
The claim could not be independently verified, although several media outlets reported that Netanyahu agreed to pause further strikes after speaking with Trump.
Trump had publicly distanced Washington from Israel’s attacks on Beirut and called on both countries to step back from the brink.
“I am going to call Bibi right now and tell him not to retaliate. Each of them had their fun. Israel had its strike, and Iran had its strike. We don’t need another one,” Trump reportedly told Axios.
In a separate interview with the Financial Times, Trump also appeared to dismiss suggestions that Netanyahu was dictating regional policy.
“I call all the shots. He doesn’t call the shots,” Trump said.
“He won’t have any choice” but to eventually accept an agreement between Washington and Tehran, the US president added.
Despite Trump’s intervention, the Israeli military announced that it had completed an “extensive” wave of airstrikes targeting Iranian military infrastructure.
According to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), dozens of fighter jets participated in the operation, striking radar installations, surface-to-air missile launchers and other strategic air defence systems.
“The Israeli Air Force completed an extensive wave of attacks against Iranian air defense systems,” the military said.
Meanwhile, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) confirmed it had launched missile strikes against petrochemical facilities in the Israeli city of Haifa.
The IRGC described the operation as retaliation for what it called a joint US-Israeli attack on Iran’s Karun Petrochemical Company located in the Mahshahr Petrochemical Special Economic Zone.
Iranian authorities confirmed the Israeli strike on the facility, although local media reported that no casualties were recorded.
The IRGC warned that continued attacks on civilian and energy infrastructure could trigger wider strikes against energy facilities across the region.
The group blamed the United States for any resulting disruption to global energy markets.
“The enemy’s attacks on civilian and energy infrastructure could expand the conflict to energy targets throughout the region,” the IRGC warned.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei also accused the United States of bearing responsibility for Israel’s actions.
“The US bears direct responsibility for Israel’s ceasefire violations,” Baghaei said.
He argued that Israel’s military operations could not be separated from Washington’s regional policies and accused both countries of undermining ongoing diplomatic efforts.
“The events of the past 24 hours will only intensify that uncertainty,” Baghaei added, referring to ongoing negotiations between Tehran and Washington.
The violence has also extended into Lebanon.
