SRINAGAR: Iran launched missiles towards Israel on Sunday in its first direct attack since a regional truce was announced on April 8, prompting Israeli threats of retaliation, a call for restraint from US President Donald Trump and widespread airspace restrictions across parts of the Middle East, according to a BBC report.
The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said all missiles fired by Iran were intercepted. According to The Times of Israel, IDF Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir warned that Iran would face a forceful response and said the Israeli military was prepared to act “as soon as the green light is given”.
Air raid sirens sounded across northern and central Israel, including Haifa, Caesarea and Hadera, with residents instructed to take shelter. Israel’s emergency service, Magen David Adom, said no direct casualties were reported from the missile attacks, although several people sustained injuries while rushing to protected areas.
The attack marked a significant escalation in regional tensions, with Iran, Iraq and Syria among the countries that moved to close parts or all of their airspace as a precautionary measure.
Following the strike, President Trump said he would urge Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to retaliate against Iran, arguing that further military action could jeopardise efforts to secure a US-Iran agreement.
According to Axios, Trump told Netanyahu that both sides had already exchanged strikes and should refrain from further escalation.
“Israel had its strike and Iran had its strike. We don’t need another one,” Trump said. “We are very close to a final deal with Iran. It is going to be a good deal. I don’t want it to blow up because of what is happening now.”
Iranian state news agency IRNA reported that a second wave of missiles had been launched towards Israel. The IDF separately confirmed that additional missiles had been fired at the country.
Tehran said the missile launches were intended as a warning following an Israeli strike on Beirut’s southern suburbs earlier in the day. Iran’s Foreign Ministry later described the operation as a defensive action conducted under Article 51 of the United Nations Charter and warned that any further Israeli action against Iran or Lebanon would be met with a stronger response.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) also warned Israel against expanding its military operations in Lebanon, saying it would face “more crushing and regretful blows” if it widened the conflict or responded militarily to Iran’s actions.
Israeli officials strongly condemned the attack. According to The Times of Israel, IDF spokesperson Brigadier General Effie Defrin said the Iranian regime had made “a grave mistake” by once again choosing what he described as “the path of terror”.
Lieutenant General Zamir reiterated Israel’s readiness to retaliate, stating that the military would “strike the enemy with force as soon as the green light is given”, according to an IDF statement cited by The Times of Israel.
Israel said its earlier strike in Beirut had targeted a Hezbollah command centre. Defrin said: “We struck in Dahiyeh in response to Hezbollah’s relentless attacks on the communities of northern Israel.”
He added: “The IDF will continue to operate throughout Lebanon and will intensify its actions against the Hezbollah terrorist organisation.”
The escalation also prompted additional security measures within Israel. The Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) announced the closure of all crossings into the Gaza Strip, including Kerem Shalom and Rafah, until further notice.
Meanwhile, aviation authorities across the region imposed restrictions as tensions mounted. Iraq temporarily closed its airspace and suspended air navigation, according to civil aviation officials.
Iran also closed the western part of its airspace until further notice, the semi-official Tasnim News Agency reported. State-run IRNA later reported that flight operations at Tehran’s Imam Khomeini International Airport had been suspended until further notice.
The developments represent one of the most serious escalations between Iran and Israel since the April ceasefire, raising fears of a broader regional confrontation and disrupting air travel across parts of the Middle East.
