US President Donald Trump said a deal with Tehran to turn a cease-fire into a peace settlement is still “very close,” even after Iran launched its first wave of air strikes against Israel since the fragile April truce took effect.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) confirmed that it had launched missiles toward Israel on June 7, saying they were in retaliation for Israeli attacks on Lebanon earlier in the day.
It added that “more crushing and regretful blows” would follow if Tel Aviv continues its offensive in Lebanon.
Trump told Fox News in an interview that he was “not happy” about the Israeli attacks before being quoted by media outlet Axios that the Iranian strikes “didn’t hit anyone. I hope Israel doesn’t respond.”
While talks between the United States and Iran to end the war in the Middle East have appeared to stall over key issues such as the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and Tehran’s nuclear ambitions, Iranian officials have maintained that the conflict between Israel and Lebanon is also central to efforts to end the regional war.
“We’re very close. I would say an agreement would be signed on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday of this coming week. And now this takes place” Trump told Fox, adding Iran needs to “get back to the table and make a deal.”
The IRGC said it hit the Ramat David airbase southeast of Haifa with ballistic missiles. The specific site was not immediately confirmed by Israel.
Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said air raid sirens sounded in several areas across the country “following the identification of missiles launched from Iran toward the State of Israel.”
US President Trump said he will call the Israeli leader and “tell him not to strike back” at Iran.
“The IDF intercepted all missiles from Iran thus far. The IDF has currently identified additional launches fired toward the State of Israel,” it said.
“The Aerial Defense Array is currently identifying and intercepting threats.”
The IDF added that Tehran “committed grave mistake” by firing the missiles.
Israel Strikes Beirut Suburbs
The development came hours after Israeli forces struck the suburbs of Lebanon’s capital for the first time since Washington announced a renewed truce between Beirut and Tel Aviv last week.
Iran’s Parliament speaker, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, on June 7 said Tehran viewed latest Israeli strikes on Beirut as evidence that the United States and Israel do not believe in dialogue and “only understand the language of power.”
Israel has been launching strikes targeting militants in Lebanon from Hezbollah — which has been labeled a terrorist organization by Washington, while the European Union has only blacklisted its armed wing — since March 2, two days after the start of the US-Israeli war with Iran, when Hezbollah forces opened fire in support of Tehran.
Hezbollah is a militant group and political party that controls much of southern Lebanon.
The Israeli military vowed to carry on with its military campaign on the territory of its northern neighbor and would step up attacks on Hezbollah.
“The [Tehran] regime is attempting to establish a new equation through direct attacks on Israeli territory in response to IDF operations in Dahiyeh,” military spokesman Brigadier General Effie Defrin said in a televised statement.
A truce that has been in place since April has reduced fighting between Israel and Hezbollah but has not stopped it; hundreds of people have been killed in strikes since then, and each side has accused the other of numerous violations.
