Israel and Iran trade fire for first time since April ceasefire

Israel and Iran traded fire overnight for the first time since a ceasefire was brokered in April, threatening to drag the Middle East back into wider war.

Iran launched missiles at Israel last night in response to an earlier bombing of militant group Hezbollah targets by Israel in Lebanon’s capital Beirut.

All missiles were intercepted and no damage or casualties were reported. But Iran promised the barrage was only the beginning of a week-long campaign.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps said the operation against Israel “is not a passing event, but rather the beginning of a full week of continuous strikes”.

In a statement, it added: “Waves of missiles and drones will continue to be launched around the clock for the next seven days until the enemy is deterred and ceases its crimes.”

The IRGC promised that any targeting of Iranian territory will be met with “a devastating and overwhelming response beyond all expectation”.

Meanwhile, overnight, Israel responded with missile strikes in central and western Iran. The Israeli military said its air force struck several targets at a petrochemical complex in Mahshahr, Iran. Explosions were reported in Isfahan, Karaj, Tabriz and Tehran.

The exchange of fire caused oil prices to climb on Monday morning in Asia. The price of the global benchmark Brent jumped by 2.6% to $95.50 a barrel, while US-traded crude rose by 2.5% to $92.75.

US President Donald Trump, who had been pressuring Israel to halt its attacks on Lebanon since they threatened to derail peace negotiations between Iran and the US, called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to urge him not to retaliate for Iran's attacks.

The US president told US media he was “not happy” about Iran's strikes but that they were “not going to have any impact on the deal”. He insisted he “calls the shots” not Netanyahu.

The rapid escalation of the middle eastern conflict over this weekend risks widening the crisis with consequent humanitarian and economic implications. We call for restraint, de-escalation, and respect for human lives. Diplomacy and negotiation must be the only way forward - CF

— Chris Fearne (@chrisfearne) June 8, 2026

In a message on X, Malta’s Foreign Minister Chris Fearne called for “restraint, de-escalation and respect for human lives”.

He said the rapid escalation of conflict over the weekend risked widening the crisis. “Diplomacy and negotiation must be the only way forward,” Fearne said.