Israel says 'large-scale strike' hit Iran defense systems

The Israeli army said Monday that its warplanes had completed a "large-scale strike" targeting what it described as strategic defense systems deployed across several areas in Iran, as the military stated that the attack was directed by its Intelligence Directorate against key infrastructure belonging to the Islamic Republic. The army claimed that the operation had dismantled the targeted systems, though Iranian authorities issued no immediate response to the Israeli statement.

Missile attacks escalate tensions

The Israeli operation followed an Iranian missile attack late Sunday targeting northern Israel — the first such bombardment since a fragile ceasefire took hold in early April. That truce had been brokered after Israeli strikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs and subsequent Iranian retaliation, pausing a cycle of violence that began when Washington and Tel Aviv launched airstrikes against Iran in late February.

Tehran’s missiles on Sunday triggered immediate concerns of renewed regional conflict, coming after weeks of stalled negotiations over the ceasefire’s implementation terms.

Diplomatic efforts stall

A temporary ceasefire was reached on April 8 following weeks of diplomacy, but talks later collapsed amid disputes over implementation and subsequent regional developments. The latest exchange of fire marks a significant deterioration in the brief period of calm that had held since early April, with both sides now risking a broader conflagration.