Iran launches missile strikes on Israel for first time since April ceasefire

Iran on Sunday evening launched several waves of missiles against Israel and warned the latter not to retaliate in the first such strikes since a ceasefire was reached in AprilThe missiles triggered sirens across northern Israel There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage Israel Defense Forces IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir said the military will strike the enemy with determination as soon as the order is givenIrans Islamic Revolution Guard Corps confirmed in a statement that it targeted Israels Ramat David Airbase with ballistic missiles in response to its widespread crimes in LebanonAccording to Irans semiofficial Fars news agency Chief Commander of Irans Khatam alAnbiya Central Headquarters Ali Abdollahi said Sunday night that if Israel expands its attacks on southern Lebanon and the Dahieh district south of Beirut or responds to Irans actions it will face more crushing and regretinducing blowsIn a statement released in the wee hours of Monday Irans Foreign Ministry said that the Iranian armed forces struck a number of targets inside Israel the night before within the framework of the countrys legitimate right to selfdefense following Israels repeated aggressive actions against Lebanon and Iran and frequent violations of the April ceasefire Xinhua news agency reportedIDF spokesperson Effie Defrin said that Iran has made a grave mistake by firing missiles at Israel adding that the military is prepared for more possible missilesFollowing the Iranian attacks Israels Home Front Command tightened civil defense restrictions across the country banning gatherings of more than 200 people in open areasIndoor gatherings are limited to up to 500 people in venues with a standard protected space while schools and beaches are also closed it said noting that the instructions took effect immediatelyIsraels Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories announced later that several crossings into Gaza have been closed until further notice following the Iranian missile attacksAlso on Sunday evening Irans Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi discussed the latest developments in the region with his counterparts in Britain France and Tuumlrkiye as well as with Qatars leader and Pakistani mediators according to Irans IRNA news agencyDuring the separate conversations they discussed Irans response to Israels repeated violations of the ceasefire in Lebanon according to the reportsIrans attacks came after Israel launched airstrikes on Beiruts southern suburbs earlier in the day which Lebanons Public Health Emergency Operations Center said killed at least two people and injured 20 othersAlso on Sunday Jordanian Minister of Government Communication Mohammad Al Momani said on the social media platform X that Jordans airspace was breached by a number of missiles at nightIraqi militia Kataib Hezbollah an ally of Iran threatened on Sunday night to attack US military bases and interests if the United States strikes Iran while Yemens Houthi group voiced support for the Iranian attacks against IsraelAmidst the renewed regional tensions Iraq announced on Sunday night the temporary closure of its airspace to all flights for 72 hours as a precautionary measure Syria said it had closed its southern air routes for 12 hours and suspended operations at Damascus International AirportAccording to Irans semiofficial Tasnim News Agency Iran announced on Sunday night the closure of its western airspace until further notice An IRNA report said that Iran also suspended flights at Imam Khomeini International AirportIn response to the Iranian attack US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that he would call Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to urge him not to strike back because he did not want USIran ceasefire negotiations to collapse according to Israels Channel 12 NewsOn February 28 the United States and Israel launched a largescale military campaign against Iran plunging the Middle East into renewed warfare and sending shockwaves across the worldIn early April the parties reached a ceasefire yet the situation has remained tense Iran insists that the ceasefire should also include an ending of fighting in Lebanon but Israel has recently escalated its military campaign in Lebanon in pursuit of HezbollahFollowing the latest flareup the IDF said it would continue to operate across Lebanon and intensify its operation against the Iranbacked militant groupThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever