US President Trump is weakened by Israel’s defiance and the chaotic tension in the Middle East – but the shooting has stopped amid fears the region is still just one missile away from war
The Middle East was dragged back from the brink of all-out war on Monday after both Israel and Iran agreed to stop launching missile attacks. But as a shaky ceasefire resumed both sides warned of a much bigger escalation if the other opens fire in the coming days, sparking fears of a return to war.
Strikes had resumed with Israel and Iran trading missile strikes after Tehran unleashed dozens of mid-range ballistic missiles on Israel 24 hours earlier. The Sunday attack followed Israeli airstrikes on Lebanese Hezbollah after Tehran repeatedly warned it would escalate if the bombings continued.
Three waves of missiles screamed towards north and central Israel, most intercepted as Israeli warplanes responded soon after with strikes on Iran defences. Tehran warned its onslaught was the start of a week of hell attacks and “continuous strikes” followed by reports Yemen’s Houthis had taken part.
Israeli warplanes hammered Iran’s military in what it described as a “large-scale strike” targeting strategic defence systems across several areas in Iran. Sources told the Daily Mirror that Israel has warned Iran it will bomb Beirut’s southern Hezbollah strongholds if Hezbollah fires rockets across its northern border. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has agreed to “hold fire,” he said, but he warned of a resumption if attacks if Hezbollah and Iran break the tentative agreement.
And he said he had conveyed that message to US President Donald Trump, adding: “If they make a mistake and resume attacks we will respond powerfully. Israel has the right to defend itself and we implement it when needed.” He said Iran and Hezbollah had tried to establish a new equation in which they could fire on Israel without facing an Israeli response. He added: “That is unacceptable.”
And even after agreeing to stop firing Iran declared it would deliver a more “severe” response if Israel continued to attack southern Lebanon. US President Donald Trump had earlier taken to social media to insist: “Israel and Iran must immediately stop shooting,” amid fears the Middle East was set to explode.
It has also become clear there is growing tension between him and Netanyahu over the Israeli leader’s repeated refusal to back down. And he later added that peace talks are still underway despite the fresh clashes and progress was being made “subject to ignorance or stupidity getting in its way.”
There are increasing fears an escalation or return to war would encourage Bahrain and the UAE to become involved in the war against Iran, risking a wider conflict. The US president told US media he was “not happy” about Tehran’s strikes but that they were “not going to have any impact on the deal.” He insisted he “calls the shots” – not Netanyahu.
