Israel-Iran clashes intensify as Tehran says US talks via Pakistan continue

The Israeli military said about 30 missiles had been launched from Iran towards Israel since Sunday night, along with one missile fired by Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi movement, marking a renewed escalation after a fragile ceasefire.

It added that the Israeli Air Force had carried out a large-scale retaliatory operation targeting Iranian strategic air defence systems and other military infrastructure. According to the military, the strikes were aimed at degrading Tehran's ability to restore and operate its air defence network following earlier attacks. Israeli officials said the operation dismantled air defence capabilities that Iran had been deploying to rebuild its defensive posture, although Iranian authorities have not independently confirmed the extent of the damage.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said Monday they had targeted a petrochemical facility in Israel in retaliation for an attack on a similar site in southwestern Iran.

"The Aerospace Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, in response to the aggression of the American-Zionist enemy against a petrochemical industry facility, targeted similar industrial facilities in Haifa with missile strikes a few moments ago," the Guards' official media outlet Sepah News said.

They also warned that Israel "has initiated a dangerous game, the scope of which will encompass all energy-related targets in the region", blaming the US for any consequences for the global economy.

Local media in Iran said Monday that a "hostile drone" was shot down over the capital Tehran during the new round of fighting with Israel.

"A hostile drone belonging to the American-Zionist enemy was targeted and destroyed by air defences in the skies over Tehran," the Mehr news agency reported, without elaborating.

A huge blast rocked central Tehran on Monday, an AFP journalist reported, followed by repeated explosions believed to be from air defence systems in the capital.

The initial explosion shook the premises of the foreign ministry in central Tehran, where an AFP journalist was attending a weekly press conference.

"The exact location and source of this explosion are still unknown," local media, including Fars news agency, reported, adding that "simultaneously, air defence was also activated in some parts of Tehran".

Iran said Monday that Pakistan's mediation efforts to end the war with the United States were continuing even after fighting resumed with Israel.

"Diplomatic consultations are naturally continuing in all circumstances," said Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei.

Iran said Monday that the resumption of hostilities in the Middle East war will have consequences for ongoing talks with the United States to reach peace in the region.

"It is perfectly natural that the diplomatic process initiated to put an end to this imposed war would be affected," Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said at a press conference in Tehran attended by AFP.

The Israeli military said Monday it had struck and dismantled Iranian defence systems deployed across several areas in the country.

"Recently, defence systems were deployed in numerous areas across Iran as part of the regime's efforts to restore its detection and defence capabilities, which were degraded during Operation Roaring Lion," the military said.

"The strike led to the dismantling of these systems," it said, adding that dozens of warplanes participated in the operation.

China said it was "deeply concerned" Monday by fresh attacks between Israel and Iran, expressing hope that a fragile truce in the Middle East war would be respected.

"Resuming hostilities is not in any party's interest," foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian told a news briefing, adding: "It is hoped all relevant parties will fulfil their commitment to a ceasefire."

Iran said Monday that the United States held responsibility for the resumption of fighting with Israel, saying Israel's actions "cannot be separated" from US policy.

"Without a doubt, as I said, the actions of the Zionist regime in the region cannot be separated from US policies," foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said at a press conference in Tehran attended by AFP.

"No one believes that the Zionist regime would carry out any action without prior coordination and cooperation with the United States," he added.

The Israeli army said it has identified a new wave of missiles launched from Iran toward Israeli territory.

“Defence systems are working to intercept the threat,” the military said, urging the public to act responsibly and follow all official instructions.

Sirens were heard in Tel Aviv as the latest wave of missiles was reported incoming from Iran.

Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels announced a missile attack on Israel on Monday and declared a ban on Israeli shipping in the Red Sea, raising the spectre of a return to major disruption on the key route.

"We declare a complete and total ban on Israeli maritime navigation in the Red Sea," said a statement from the Houthis' armed forces, which also confirmed the first missile attack on Israel since early April.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the State of Qatar received a phone call on Monday from Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, according to QNA.

The two sides reviewed mediation efforts between the United States and Iran, as well as the latest developments in Lebanon.

During the call, the Qatari prime minister reaffirmed Qatar’s support for all efforts aimed at containing escalation and reaching a comprehensive agreement to strengthen regional security and stability and achieve lasting peace in the Middle East.

Iran said Monday it had struck Israel's Nevatim and Tel Nof air bases, as the two sides traded fire in the largest flare-up in fighting since a ceasefire took effect in April.

"The operation was carried out in response to a missile attack launched by the Zionist regime... against several radar sites in three different places" in Iran, the country's Revolutionary Guards, the ideological wing of Iran's army, said in a statement.

EU top diplomat Kaja Kallas urged calm Monday after Iran and Israel traded strikes, testing a fragile truce and threatening hopes for a deal to end the Middle East war.

"Overnight, we have seen escalation again. I think the region does not need an escalation, but actually that parties sit down to a negotiation table and agree," Kallas said.

Iranian media on Monday said Israel had struck a petrochemical company in southwestern Iran, as the warring countries traded fire hours after US President Donald Trump called for restraint.

"The Zionist enemy has carried out an air attack on the Karun Petrochemical Company in Mahshahr," local media posted on Telegram.

It quoted a local law enforcement official as saying that Israeli projectiles struck the facility.

State news agency IRNA reported that the special petrochemical economic zone which hosts the company had evacuated "its daytime employees... following an aerial attack by the hostile Zionist enemy".

Karoon petrochemical company was founded in 2002-2003 as the first "knowledge based" petrochemical company of Iran.

It produces more than 200,000 tonnes of petrochemical products annually according to the figures published on its website.

Israel and Iran traded fire hours after US President Donald Trump called on Israel to refrain from retaliating against Tehran's missiles.

The Israeli military said it had identified a second wave of missiles launched from Iran on Monday and its defensive systems were working to intercept them.

"Defensive systems are operating to intercept the threat," the military said.

AFP journalists heard at least eight explosions over Jerusalem on Monday as Israel said it was intercepting a new wave of Iranian missiles.

The Israeli army wrote on Telegram it had "identified missiles launched from Iran" and was working to intercept the threat.

An AFP journalist in Jerusalem witnessed at least one interception as residents hurried to shelters in the city.

Israel's emergency service provider Magen David Adom said there were no reports of any casualties.

Iran has launched multiple waves of missiles towards Israel since Sunday evening, rattling a fragile truce between the two countries engulfed in the Middle East war.

The Middle East is suddenly bracing for war again. Iran fired missiles at Israel late Sunday in the first such bombardment in the two months since a ceasefire. What happened?

The truce in the Iran war that was reached in April has not spread to Lebanon, where Israel has been battling Iranian-backed Hezbollah militants. Israel says it is defending its northern communities that face Hezbollah drone and rocket fire.

Iran sees Israel’s ground invasion, with thousands of troops, and airstrikes in Lebanon as a ceasefire violation. It insists that any deal with the United States must end the fighting there. Israel disagrees.

Here’s a timeline of key events.

The Israeli army said Monday it was working to intercept a missile launched from Yemen.

Yemen's Houthi rebels, who joined the Middle East war in March in support of Iran, have previously launched attacks on Israel.

The Israel Defense Forces wrote on Telegram that it "has identified the launch of a missile from Yemen toward Israeli territory, aerial defense systems are operating to intercept the threat."

Saudi Civil Defence said the danger has now passed in Al Kharj Governorate. Authorities urged residents to continue following Civil Defence instructions, avoid gathering or filming, and call 911 in case of emergency.

Earlier, a warning had been issued via the National Early Warning Platform for the Al Kharj area.

Residents in western Tehran heard at least two explosions around 4.43am. and 4.45am, according to the Tehran Fire Department. Authorities say no urban areas were directly hit.

Oil prices rose sharply in Asian trading Monday, with benchmark crude contracts nearing multi-month highs as investors weighed supply risks, OPEC+ production policy and expectations for stronger energy demand later this year.

As of 11:02 am (June 8, 2026) in Tokyo, US benchmark West Texas Intermediate crude traded at $93.30 a barrel, up $2.76, or 3.05%. Brent crude, the international benchmark, gained $2.78 to $95.99 a barrel, a rise of 2.99%.

The Israeli army said Monday it had struck targets in western and central Iran, as Iranian state TV reported explosions in the cities of Tehran, Tabriz and Isfahan.

"A short while ago, the Israeli Air Force struck military targets belonging to the Iranian terror regime in western and central Iran," the Israel Defense Forces posted on Telegram.

Iranian state TV reported explosions in three cities on Monday, as the Israeli army said its air forces had struck targets in west and central Iran.

"Several explosions heard in Tehran, Tabriz and Isfahan," state TV posted on Telegram.

The US Embassy in Jordan has warned that reports indicate missiles, drones or rockets are present in Jordanian airspace. The embassy urged residents to seek overhead cover, shelter in place immediately and remain indoors while monitoring local announcements and alerts.

The embassy said it is continuing to assess the situation and will provide further updates as needed.

US President Donald Trump told NBC's Interviewer Kristen Welker during an explosive interview about his Iran war strategy, saying: "We're very close to having a deal (with Iran) — and if we don't have a deal, we'll do it one way or the other. Either way, we win."

On Mojtaba Khamenei: "I don't want to say whether or not I know where he is, but there's a good probability that I do... He's very seriously injured."

Researchers warned on Monday that nuclear-armed states were taking their arms out of storage and putting them on delivery systems, as the weapons of mass destruction are playing an increased role in global politics.  

The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) said the world's nuclear powers had an estimated total of 12,187 warheads, with about 9,745 of them in stockpiles for potential use.

Tehran's international airport suspended all incoming flights after Iranian missile strikes on Israel, local media said late on Sunday. "The civil aviation authority announced the suspension of all flights bound for the airport until further notice," said Iranian press agency Mehr -- the latest closure for Khomeini International Airport, one of two serving the capital, which had only re-opened in April after being shut for weeks over the Middle East war.

US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke by phone as tensions threatened to flare again following Iranian missile attacks on Israel, according to a US official cited by Axios. The reported call came at a critical moment for a fragile ceasefire that Washington has been trying to preserve after weeks of escalating confrontation involving Iran, Israel and US forces in the region.

The Israeli military said Sunday that Iran had committed a "grave mistake" by launching a barrage of missiles at Israel.

"The Iranian terrorist regime has made a grave mistake by once again choosing the path of terror," military spokesman Brigadier General Effie Defrin.

The Israeli military vowed to press ahead with its military campaign in Lebanon and said it would step up operations against Hezbollah.

"The (Iranian) regime is attempting to establish a new equation through direct attacks on Israeli territory in response to IDF operations in Dahiyeh," military spokesman Brigadier General Effie Defrin said, in a televised statement.

"We struck in Dahiyeh in response to Hezbollah's relentless attacks on the communities of northern Israel. The IDF will continue to operate throughout Lebanon and will intensify its actions against the Hezbollah terrorist organisation."

US President Donald Trump said he will call Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to urge him not to retaliate against Iranian missile strikes on Israel, news outlet Axios reported.

"I am going to call Bibi right now and tell him not to retaliate," Trump was quoted as saying by Axios journalist Barak Ravid in a phone interview, using the Israeli leader's nickname.

"Each of them had their fun. Israel had its strike and Iran had its strike. We don't need another one," Trump said, according to excerpts of which Ravid posted on X.

Iran closed the airspace over the west of the country after launching a salvo of missiles towards Israel in response to its latest strike on Lebanon.

"Due to safety and security assessments... the western part of the country's airspace was declared closed until further notice," said Majid Akhavan, the spokesman for the National Civil Aviation Organisation, in a statement carried by the news agency IRNA.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has held calls with officials from the UK, Turkey, and Pakistan following Israel’s repeated violations of the Lebanon ceasefire.

Araghchi told Telegram that he spoke with UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan to discuss the situation.

He also spoke with Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, who has been instrumental in mediation efforts between the US and Iran.

Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guards said that Sunday night's missile attack on Israel was a "warning" after the Israeli strike on Beirut earlier in the day, threatening wider strikes in the event of new aggression.

"Tonight's operation was a warning. If such aggressions are repeated, the responses will be broader awill cover all US-Zionist targets in the region," the force said.

Iraq has temporarily closed its airspace and suspended air navigation, civil aviation officials confirmed.

At the same time, the Syrian Civil Aviation Authority announced a 12-hour closure of southern air corridors and a suspension of operations at Damascus International Airport.

Authorities in both countries cited safety and security concerns as the reason for the temporary measures.

President Donald Trump said that Iran’s recent missile attack on Israel complicates ongoing negotiations but expressed optimism that a deal is close.

Speaking to Fox News, Trump said, “You’ve shot your missiles, that’s enough. Get back to the table and make a deal.” He added that an agreement could be signed as early as Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday this week.

Trump also criticised Israel’s airstrikes on Beirut, saying he was “not happy about it,” highlighting his concern over escalating regional tensions.

Israel is preparing a “powerful” response to Iranian ballistic missile attacks, according to two Israeli sources cited by CNN.

The Israeli military said it has intercepted all Iranian ballistic missiles “thus far” following at least three separate barrages fired toward Israel. One source said at least 10 missiles were intercepted.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it is “currently identifying and intercepting threats” as the situation continues to develop amid heightened regional tensions.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has said it launched ballistic missiles at Israel’s Ramat David Air Base, located about 20km from Haifa in northern Israel.

The IRGC described the air base as the “source of aggressions” against southern Lebanon and Beirut’s southern suburbs.

The Israeli military said it had so far intercepted all missiles fired by Iran on Sunday, while warning that the Islamic republic had launched a new salvo.

"The IDF intercepted all missiles from Iran thus far. The IDF has currently identified additional launches fired toward the State of Israel," the military said. "The Aerial Defence Array is currently identifying and intercepting threats."

The Israeli army said it had detected incoming missile fire from Iran on Sunday, a first since a fragile truce went into effect in the Middle East war in April.

"A short while ago, sirens were sounded in several areas across the country, following the identification of missiles launched from Iran toward the State of Israel," the military said, in a statement.

The situation is ongoing, and authorities have urged residents to stay alert and follow official safety instructions.

Day 100: Iran says it targeted Israeli air base with missiles

Day 99: Iran targets Bahrain and Kuwait after new US strikes

Day 98: Trump hails ‘great success’ with Iran, offers no new details

Day 97: UN peacekeeper killed in south Lebanon shelling

Day 96: US: Iran's Kuwait attack was 'deliberate & calculated'

Day 95: Rubio says Iran's Khamenei alive and 'increasingly engaging'

Day 94: Kuwait intercepts missiles, drones; Iran halts US talks

Day 93: Trump asked for tougher terms in proposed Iran war deal

Day 92: Hormuz disruption raises summer fuel shortage fears

Day 91: Trump wraps Iran talks without announcement

Day 90: US, Iran reach deal pending Trump's final approval