Israel launched new airstrikes on multiple Iranian cities on Monday despite a direct appeal from US President Donald Trump for restraint, further escalating tensions in the volatile Middle East.
Israeli fighter jets struck targets in Tehran, Isfahan, Tabriz and Karaj, hitting radar installations, surface-to-air missile systems and other military infrastructure, the Israel Defense Forces said.
“The Israeli Air Force completed an extensive wave of attacks against Iranian air defence systems,” the IDF announced.
The operation came shortly after Trump reportedly urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to retaliate further following Iranian missile attacks.
“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 told Axios.
Trump also asserted his authority over the situation.
“I call all the shots. He doesn’t call the shots,” he said in an interview with the Financial Times.
Iran responded with missile strikes on petrochemical facilities in the Israeli city of Haifa, describing the action as retaliation for an alleged joint US-Israeli attack on its Karun Petrochemical Company.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei accused Washington of direct responsibility.
“The US bears direct responsibility for Israel’s ceasefire violations,” Baghaei said.
The exchanges have raised fears of a wider regional conflict that could disrupt critical energy infrastructure.
