Iran Fires Multiple Missile Waves at Israel in First Attack Since April Ceasefire

Iran Fires Multiple Missile Waves at Israel in First Attack Since April Ceasefire

JERUSALEM/TEHRAN – Iran on Sunday launched multiple waves of missiles at Israel, escalating tensions in the Middle East as Tehran warned that further attacks would continue for days and could expand to include more targets linked to Israel and the United States.

The Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) described the strikes as a warning to Israel, saying the action was a response to what it called Israeli aggression, including an earlier attack on Lebanon. According to the IRGC, ballistic missiles were fired at the Ramat David Airbase, located southeast of the northern Israeli city of Haifa. The group also accused the United States and Israel of violating commitments under a ceasefire agreement that took effect in early April.

In a statement, the IRGC declared: “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.” The IRGC further warned that “any targeting of Iranian territory will be met with a devastating and overwhelming response beyond all expectation.” The Iranian military body further warned that if Israel repeated what it described as aggressive actions, its response would be wider in scope and would target all American and Israeli interests across the region.

IRGC Aerospace Commander Majid Mousavi declared “promise fulfilled” following the strikes, according to Iranian media reports. Meanwhile, Mohsen Rezaei, a military adviser to Iran’s supreme leader, wrote on X: “The Islamic Republic of Iran has repeatedly stated that it will not tolerate violations of the ceasefire and aggression against Lebanon. Tonight, the aggressors received their response.”

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United States President Donald Trump called on Iran to halt further attacks and resume diplomatic engagement following the missile launches. The White House confirmed Trump had been briefed on the strikes. A Fox News correspondent quoted Trump as saying: “You’ve shot your missiles. That’s enough. Get back to the table and make a deal.” Trump also reportedly expressed displeasure with Israel’s earlier strike on Beirut, telling Fox News: “I’m not happy about it.” According to Axios, Trump said he was in contact with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, adding: “I’m calling Netanyahu right now and telling him not to attack Iran in response.”

The Jerusalem Post later reported that Trump asked Netanyahu to avoid striking Iran in retaliation. “If Netanyahu strikes them back, it’s just gonna keep going like the last 47 years, or last 3,000 years,” Trump said. “We can achieve peace after 3,000 years.”

Israel’s military said its air defence systems had successfully responded to the attack. The Israel Air Force said it had intercepted “all the missiles launched from Iran so far.” It added that “additional launches” had been detected and that Israeli forces were continuing efforts to track and neutralise incoming threats. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed that sirens had been sounded in “several areas across the country.” An IDF spokesperson, Brig Gen Effie Defrin, stated that Iran had made a “grave mistake” and that Israel was “prepared for the possibility of additional fire.”

However, Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir struck a more aggressive tone, posting in Hebrew on X: “Tonight, Tehran must burn!” following the attacks on northern Israel. Senior Israeli officials told Channel 12 News that Israel will “respond forcefully” to the Iranian missile attacks, adding that Israel “cannot allow a situation in which Iran fires at Israel in response to Israeli strikes on Hezbollah in Beirut.”

The Iranian attack occurred hours after Israel struck southern Beirut — the first attack on the Lebanese capital since a US-brokered truce was reached last week. Two air strikes on two residential apartment buildings in the Dahieh district — a stronghold of the Iran-backed Hezbollah — killed at least two people and injured at least 20, including women and children, according to Lebanon’s health ministry. Anadolu Ajansı reported that the death toll from Sunday’s Israeli airstrikes on Beirut and southern Lebanon had risen to eight killed and 13 injured. At least two of those killed were in the Beirut strike, while six others died in airstrikes on villages in the Nabatieh area.

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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel had struck “terrorist headquarters in the Dahieh district of Beirut, in response to Hezbollah’s firing at Israeli territory.” Hezbollah has since confirmed it fired at Israeli military positions. The Israeli military’s Arabic spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, claimed the army had targeted a Hezbollah infrastructure facility in the area. A joint statement by Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz claimed the attack was carried out in response to Hezbollah rocket fire into northern Israel Sunday morning.

The escalation comes just months after a ceasefire between Iran, the US, and Israel came into effect in early April. Sebastian Usher, the BBC’s global affairs correspondent in Jerusalem, noted that the tension between Iran, Israel, and the US over Israel’s offensive against Hezbollah in Lebanon has been building in intensity in recent days. “The possibility of a major new escalation in Lebanon prompted President Trump to tell Netanyahu in the strongest possible language to hold back, for fear that any such action would derail the already fraying ceasefire between the US and Iran,” Usher wrote.

A sketchy new ceasefire was subsequently agreed between the Israeli and Lebanese governments at talks mediated by the US. But that ceasefire appeared to have collapsed after Israel carried out strikes on the southern suburbs of Beirut in response to continued rocket fire by Hezbollah into Israel. “Much will now depend on Israel’s response,” Usher added. “There could be a new round of tit-for-tat attacks between the two countries that could reignite the Iran war. How President Trump reacts will also be key. For now, he still seems set on trying to defuse the situation.”

Israel has continued carrying out airstrikes in Lebanon since a Hezbollah cross-border attack in early March. According to Lebanon’s health ministry, the overall death toll since the outbreak of the armed escalation on March 2 has climbed to 3,613, with 11,072 people injured. The IRGC, in its statement, accused the US and Israel of “failing to honour their commitments” under the ceasefire between Iran, the US, and Israel that came into effect in early April. The ceasefire had been seen as a rare diplomatic achievement in the region, but Sunday’s events suggest its foundations were fragile.

The situation remains highly volatile. Key developments to watch include Israel’s response, as Trump has urged restraint but hardliners in the Israeli cabinet including Ben-Gvir are pushing for retaliation; Iran’s promised week of strikes, as the IRGC has pledged to continue launching waves of missiles and drones for seven days; US diplomatic efforts, as President Trump has urged restraint from both sides but his influence over Netanyahu and Tehran may be tested in the coming days; and Hezbollah’s role, as the Iran-backed militant group in Lebanon remains actively engaged, and any further Israeli strikes on Lebanese territory could trigger additional escalation.

Iran Fires Multiple Missile Waves at Israel in First Attack Since April Ceasefire