US President Donald Trump urged both Israel and Iran to immediately cease their counterattacks, telling them on Tuesday via his Truth Social platform, “Israel and Iran must stop shooting immediately.”
The escalating conflict began when Iran fired rockets at Israel on Sunday. Iranian sources claimed this was a direct response to earlier Israeli strikes in Lebanon. In turn, the Israeli military later targeted military objectives in the western and central parts of Iran. Prior to the Iranian rocket launch, Trump reportedly contacted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanjahu to press him for restraint and to discourage an immediate military response to the Iranian attack.
According to the Israeli military, the ongoing escalation is likely to last several days, and there is a possibility that the situation could expand into a full-scale war.
By Tuesday morning, Israel reported that Iran had launched three waves of attacks comprising a total of 22 to 24 ballistic missiles. Additionally, the Houthi militia in Yemen participated, firing two missiles. One of these missiles missed Israeli territory, while the other was intercepted by Israel’s air defense system. Israeli authorities reported that all Iranian projectiles either missed their targets or were successfully deflected.
In response, the Israeli Air Force conducted strikes in two waves, reportedly hitting nine air defense and radar systems, as well as a petrochemical complex inside Iran. Some of these facilities are suspected to be involved in the production of ballistic missiles.
