Israel, Iran trade strikes for first time since April ceasefire

Israel and Iran exchanged direct military strikes Monday for the first time since a U.S.-brokered ceasefire two months ago, raising fears the region could slide back toward full-scale war.

The exchange — which both sides ultimately characterized as limited — marks the most dangerous escalation in a conflict now 100 days old, with global fuel and food prices already elevated by disruptions to Red Sea shipping lanes.

Iran's Revolutionary Guard said it targeted two Israeli military bases with multiple waves of ballistic missiles, according to Fars news agency. Israel countered with airstrikes on an Iranian petrochemical factory in Mahshahr and ballistic missile production sites in central and western Iran.

At least 15 people were wounded in Iran from explosions, with no immediate fatalities reported, Mehr news agency said. Israeli air defenses intercepted a portion of the incoming Iranian missiles over central Israel.

Iran's military joint command announced it was halting offensive operations following Monday's exchanges. In a statement, the command warned that "aggression and hostile acts by Israel and its supporters, including in southern Lebanon, would be met with much more severe and crushing measures than before."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a videotaped statement, said that if Iran "makes the mistake and returns to attacking us, we will respond with force." He added that Israel "has full right to self-defense, and we will exercise it to the full extent necessary."

U.S. President Donald Trump posted online that "Israel and Iran must immediately stop 'shooting.'" Trump told the Financial Times in a separate interview, "I call all the shots" — a remark Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei cited when he told journalists in Tehran that "No one believes that the Israeli regime would take any action without coordination with the United States."

The Houthi rebel movement claimed a separate strike on Israel and threatened to target Israel-affiliated vessels in the Red Sea, al-Masirah satellite news channel reported. The waterway handled roughly $1 trillion in annual goods before the conflict began disrupting shipping routes.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called on both sides to "exercise restraint and give peace a little more chance," posting the appeal on X. Iran retained control of the Strait of Hormuz throughout Monday's fighting, and global markets were closely watching for any signs of prolonged closure.