Iran's armed forces announced a halt to military operations against Israel, following the first exchange of strikes between the two countries since a ceasefire in April. The Khatam ol-Anbiya command stated that Iran had delivered a "painful response" to Israel and warned against continued attacks, including in southern Lebanon where Israeli forces are battling the Iranian-backed Hezbollah.
An Israeli official told Channel 12 that Israel had paused strikes on Iran at the request of the US president, but attacks on southern Lebanon would continue. Iran launched about 30 missiles at Israel in retaliation for a strike in Beirut on Sunday, while Israel responded with two waves of airstrikes on Iranian targets.
US President Donald Trump called on both countries to "immediately stop 'shooting'" as they were jeopardizing negotiations for a deal to end the regional war. The war began on 28 February when Israel and the US launched a joint attack on Iran, killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other top officials. Hostilities quickly spread across the Middle East, with Iran blocking the Strait of Hormuz and launching missiles at Israel and Gulf states.
Pakistan brokered a ceasefire that began on 7 April, but sporadic attacks continued. Lebanon was drawn into the conflict on 2 March when Hezbollah launched rockets into Israel. Israel responded with airstrikes and a ground invasion. In recent weeks, the US has pressed Israel to scale back its campaign to allow for a wider deal with Iran, which also covers the conflict in Lebanon.
On Sunday, Iran's top military commander accused Israel of "crossing all red lines" with a strike on Beirut, and the IRGC launched ballistic missiles at northern Israel. Israel retaliated with airstrikes on military targets in western and central Iran. Yemen's Houthis also announced a missile attack on Israel and a ban on Israeli maritime navigation in the Red Sea.
The war has caused significant casualties: over 3,500 killed in Iran, over 3,600 in Lebanon, 20 civilians in Israel, 30 Israeli soldiers and 4 civilians on the Israel-Lebanon border, 29 in Gulf states, and 13 US service members.
Source: www.bbc.com