Iran Announces Halt To Strikes On Israel

Iran said on Monday it would halt its military offensive against Israel following an exchange of fire between the two countries, but warned it would respond more forcefully if further “hostile acts” were carried out.

The announcement came after the first reported direct strikes between Iran and Israel since a ceasefire took effect in April.

However, Iran warned that its military was prepared to escalate its response if attacks continued.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said the ceasefire “was conditional on a ceasefire on all fronts”, adding: “Tonight’s operation was a warning, and if aggressions are repeated, the responses will be broader.”

Israeli officials indicated that Israel had also paused retaliatory strikes on Iran following pressure from the White House, although no formal confirmation was issued by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu or his office.

An Israeli official said the decision followed a request from United States President Donald Trump, but stressed that Israel would continue its operations against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. “The sense is that this round of fighting is behind us,” the official said.

The escalation began on Sunday when Israel carried out airstrikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs, prompting Iran to fire missiles towards Israel. Israel then struck military targets in western and central Iran, with explosions reported in Tehran, Isfahan and Tabriz.

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that diplomatic contacts were ongoing despite the flare-up. Writing on Truth Social, he said both sides were “looking to do an immediate ceasefire” and added that U.S. measures against Iran would remain in place until a final agreement was reached.

He had earlier told Fox News that the renewed exchanges of fire were “certainly not going to help negotiations”.

The announcement leaves the situation in Lebanon unresolved, with Israel signalling it would continue operations against Hezbollah despite the reported pause in Iran-Israel exchanges.