Israel and Iran Trade Strikes, Threatening to Drag the Middle East Back into Full-Scale War

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Israel and Iran exchanged fire early Monday in their first direct attacks since the United States brokered a ceasefire with Tehran two months ago, raising fears that the Middle East could be plunged back into a full-scale war. The conflict, which began on Feb.

28 with U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran, has already shaken the global economy, driven up energy prices, and made basic goods like food more expensive worldwide.

The April ceasefire has failed to lead to a permanent peace deal. During the truce, Iran maintained its control over the Strait of Hormuz, a vital passage for global oil and natural gas, whose closure had previously caused fuel prices to skyrocket.

Israel continued its strikes against Hezbollah, Iran's ally in Lebanon, and pushed deeper into that country. On Monday, Yemen's Houthi rebels, also backed by Iran, fired at Israel and warned they would target Israel-affiliated ships in the Red Sea.

With peace talks stalled, renewed exchanges between Israel and Iran, and the Houthis joining the fray, the risk of a full-scale war erupting again is higher than at any point since the ceasefire. U.S.

President Donald Trump responded to the new attacks by writing online: "Israel and Iran must immediately stop 'shooting.'" Diplomats from Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Pakistan, and Qatar have urged the Trump administration to pressure Israel to curb its strikes on Iran and Beirut, and also urged Iranian officials to halt attacks on Israel, according to two regional officials who spoke on condition of anonymity. Trump said talks for a ceasefire between Israel and Iran were ongoing, but provided no details.

Iran launched waves of attacks on Israel on Monday, and Israel struck central and western Iran. Iranian state television reported explosions in Isfahan, Karaj, Tabriz, and Tehran.

Iran closed the airspace around Tehran's Imam Khomeini International Airport after the Israeli attack. The semiofficial Fars and Mehr news agencies said Israeli strikes hit a petrochemical factory in Mahshahr.

The Israeli military confirmed the strike, saying it targeted sites that produce materials for ballistic missiles, as well as truck-based missile launchers. Israel said its strikes were in response to an Iranian missile attack.

Tehran had warned on Sunday it would retaliate after Israel struck Beirut's southern suburbs without warning. When Israel struck back, Iran fired again.

Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard said it had targeted two military bases in Israel. Explosions were heard in central Israel as air defenses intercepted incoming fire.

Sirens also sounded across neighboring Jordan. Iran blamed the United States for the escalation.

"No one believes that the Israeli regime would take any action without coordination with the United States," said Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei. The White House did not respond to messages about Israel's strikes.

Tensions appear to be growing between Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The two leaders launched the war in a closely coordinated attack, but have since moved in opposite directions.

Netanyahu appears to have openly defied Trump with the strike in Beirut and subsequent attacks in Iran, while Trump has voiced displeasure, belittling Netanyahu by declaring to the Financial Times that "I call all the shots." The differences are rooted in each leader's domestic considerations: Netanyahu faces elections this fall and is under public pressure to strike back against Hezbollah attacks, while Trump faces congressional elections in November and wants to end a war that has jolted the global economy. Yemen's Houthi rebels claimed an attack on Israel on Monday and said Israel-affiliated vessels would again be targets in the Red Sea, endangering the waterway, the Gulf of Aden, and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

The Houthis made similar threats during the Israel-Hamas war, killing at least nine mariners and sinking four ships in over 100 attacks. The assaults disrupted shipping in the Red Sea, through which about $1 trillion of goods passed annually before the war.

Civilians on both sides are bracing for further conflict. In Tehran, resident Reza Khorramgah said, "I think Iran did a good thing.

I think this war is going to continue for a long time, and we won't give up until victory." In Israel, schools were closed but many businesses remained open. In Tel Aviv, streets were more subdued than usual, but many people were still doing errands after a morning that sent them running for shelters multiple times.