Evening of tension in the Middle East, this Sunday, June 7. Iran fired missiles towards Israel in retaliation for earlier IDF attacks in Lebanon, sparking renewed tensions.
Israel indicated, this Sunday, June 7, that it was the target of Iranian missiles, endangering a ceasefire already very weakened on the hundredth day of the war in the Middle East.
“The army has identified missiles fired from Iran towards the territory of the State of Israel,” the Israeli army wrote in a statement. Warning sirens sounded across large swaths of northern Israel, according to the army.
Shortly after, the army reported “a new barrage of missiles” targeting Israel for the first time since the ceasefire between Iran, the United States and Israel announced on April 8.
For its part, Hezbollah confirms having struck several military positions this morning in northern Israel, a few hours after an Israeli strike on Beirut that Israel said it had carried out in retaliation for enemy fire.
Schools closed in Israel on Monday
“The Iranian terrorist regime has made a grave mistake by once again choosing the path of terrorism,” declared Brigadier General Effie Defrin, the spokesperson for the Israeli army, during a short televised address. “We will not allow continued shooting targeting citizens of the State of Israel.” Israel announced that the country’s schools will all be closed tomorrow.
Earlier, Iran had threatened to attack American and Israeli interests in the Middle East after a strike on Beirut which left two people dead on Sunday.
Following these missile launches in Israel, which were all intercepted, several countries in the region indicated that they had closed their airspace.
Closed air spaces
The Iraqi civil aviation authority notably announced a 72-hour closure, with the Syrian authority choosing to close its “southern air corridors” for 12 hours and suspend activity at Damascus international airport. Iran also closed its airspace in the western part of the country on Sunday evening until further notice.
The President of the United States Donald Trump, for his part, indicated to Fox News that “this was certainly not going to facilitate the negotiations”. “You have fired your missiles, that is enough. Return to the negotiating table and conclude an agreement,” he also declared, addressing Iranian leaders.
“We don’t need another strike”
Donald Trump planned to go to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to “tell him not to retaliate.” “Israel had its strike and Iran had its strike. We don’t need another (strike),” he declared according to Axios journalist Barak Ravid, who said he spoke to him on the phone.
In order to avoid an escalation, talks between leaders of the region also took place. The head of Iranian diplomacy Abbas Araghchi spoke in particular with his counterparts from the United Kingdom and Turkey as well as the Pakistani mediator, according to his ministry.
