Iran says it has ended military operation against Israel, warns of harsher response if attacks continue

A man poses for a photo next to a fallen rocket half-buried in the ground on the outskirts of Jericho in Palestine on Monday, following Iranian and Iran-backed Houthi rebel attacks. PIC/AFP

Iran on Monday said it was ending its latest military operation against Israel following the first exchange of fire between the two sides since a fragile ceasefire came into effect. However, Tehran warned that any further attacks would invite a more "crushing" response, news agency AFP reported.

Earlier in the day, US President Donald Trump urged both Iran and Israel to stop fighting amid reports of growing tensions between him and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Iran launched dozens of missiles at Israel overnight, while Israel responded by striking military targets inside Iran, raising fears that the escalation could reignite a full-scale conflict after the April 8 truce.

"Israel and Iran must immediately stop 'shooting.' President DONALD J. TRUMP," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.

Minutes later, he posted again, saying that "final negotiations" towards peace were progressing, "subject to ignorance or stupidity getting in its way."

Iran's military command later announced that it was halting the operation after delivering what it described as a "painful response" to Israel.

Iran warns of harsher response as tensions spill into Lebanon

At the same time, it warned that "should acts of aggression and hostility continue, including in southern Lebanon, much more severe and crushing measures than before will follow".

Shortly afterwards, Israel's military said it had intercepted three projectiles fired from Lebanon. The Israeli military said the projectiles had targeted its forces operating in southern Lebanon.

"Some of the projectiles were intercepted prior to crossing into Israeli territory, and an additional projectile fell near IDF soldiers. No injuries were reported," the military stated.

Iran's earlier strikes came after Israel targeted sites linked to the Iran-backed Lebanese Shia group Hezbollah in Beirut's southern suburbs.

Tehran had repeatedly warned that it would strike Israel if the Lebanese capital came under attack.

Despite the renewed tensions, there was little visible sign of a return to war in Tehran on Monday, with cafes and restaurants remaining crowded.

In Tel Aviv, residents rushed to shelters after air raid sirens sounded.

Oil prices jump as fresh attacks threaten fragile truce

Oil prices rose by more than five per cent amid concerns that the conflict could intensify again, disrupting shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most important trade routes.

The developments came at a sensitive stage in diplomatic efforts to end the conflict, with Pakistan continuing its mediation efforts.

Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei warned during a press conference in Tehran that diplomacy was continuing but could be "affected" by the latest escalation.

While he was speaking at the foreign ministry, a powerful explosion shook the building, followed by several more blasts believed to be linked to air defence activity.

Pakistan's Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi visited Tehran to deliver what he described as a "special letter" to Iran's supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei, Iranian state television reported.

A Pakistani official later confirmed that Naqvi had returned to Pakistan.

Iranian President Masoud Pezehskian said in a post on X that Tehran remained "at the negotiating table".

No casualties reported as both sides signal readiness for prolonged conflict

No casualties have been reported in either Israel or Iran following the latest exchange of fire.

The Israeli military said it had struck and dismantled Iranian defence systems deployed across several parts of the country. An Israeli military official said Iran had fired nearly 30 missiles towards Israel since Sunday night.

A military source told the Tasnim news agency that "Iran is prepared for a long-term war with the Zionist regime and for strikes against US interests" in the region.

Questions also remain over decision-making in Tehran. Mojtaba Khamenei, who reportedly assumed leadership after his father Ali Khamenei was killed on the first day of the war on February 28, has not appeared in public since reports emerged that he was wounded in a US-Israeli strike.

Meanwhile, the European Union's foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, urged both sides to return to negotiations.

"Sit down to a negotiation table and agree," she said, adding that "the region does not need an escalation."

(With AFP inputs)