Tehran: Israel and Iran exchanged missile and air strikes on Monday, stoking fears that West Asia could slide back into a full-scale conflict. By evening, however, both sides announced a temporary pause in attacks, adding to the uncertainty on the ground.
The conflict involving the US and Israel against Iran has crossed 100 days, according to reports. With the Strait of Hormuz disrupted, several countries are facing shortages of petroleum products.
A temporary halt had earlier been announced on April 8 by Iran and the US, even as efforts continued to reach a permanent end to the war. Despite that, attacks have continued intermittently, including Israeli strikes on Hezbollah positions in Lebanon and Iranian retaliation targeting US bases in the region.
In the latest escalation, Israel carried out air strikes on Hezbollah sites in Beirut’s southern suburbs. Iran responded by launching more than 10 advanced missiles from its territory at Israeli military targets, which Israel said were intercepted by its air defence systems.
Israel then launched large-scale air strikes inside Iran early Monday, with reports claiming damage to Iranian security installations and oil facilities. US President Donald Trump urged both sides to stop attacks, later saying a ceasefire decision had been reached following his efforts.
