U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that Israel and Iran are looking to reach an immediate ceasefire.
Trump added, in a post on his "Truth Social" platform, that final negotiations regarding "peace" are underway, but they could be affected by what he described as "ignorance or stupidity."
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He stressed that the blockade will remain in place and at full strength until a "final agreement" is reached, expressing his belief that things will move quickly.
In an earlier post, Trump called on Israel and Iran to "cease fire immediately."
On Monday morning, the Israeli military announced it had conducted airstrikes targeting military sites in western and central Iran, hours after Iran launched missiles toward Israel for the first time since a ceasefire was declared last April.
In a brief statement, the military said the air force carried out raids on military targets belonging to Iran, while Iranian television reported hearing explosions in Tehran, Tabriz, and Isfahan.
Earlier, the Israeli military announced it had detected missile launches from Iran toward Israel, confirming that air defense systems intercepted all of them.
It explained that the number of launched missiles reached 11, while sirens sounded in wide areas of northern and central Israel, including Haifa, Caesarea, and Hadera.
Israeli military spokesperson Ifi Defrin said that Iran had "chosen the path of escalation once again," while Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir confirmed that the military is ready to respond to any threat.
For its part, Iran stated that the missile attack was in response to the Israeli raid that targeted the southern suburb of Beirut, Hezbollah's stronghold, on Sunday.
The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) emphasized that the operation was a "warning message," warning that any additional attacks would be met with a broader and harsher response. Iranian officials also stressed that the continuation of Israeli attacks on Lebanon could lead to further escalation.
The recent tension followed an Israeli raid targeting the southern suburb of Beirut, which resulted in the martyrdom of two people, according to Lebanese sources, while Israel stated that the attack was in response to the launching of projectiles from Lebanon.
Amidst the escalation, American media reports revealed that U.S. President Donald Trump sought to contain the situation. The "Axios" website quoted him as saying that he would contact Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to urge him not to respond to the Iranian attack.
Trump said that both sides had carried out their strikes, adding that he sees no need for further escalation and emphasizing that the United States remains close to reaching an agreement with Iran.
In the same context, Trump stressed that military escalation would not help move the ongoing negotiations between Washington and Tehran forward.
In light of the mounting tension, several countries took precautionary measures. Iran announced the closure of parts of its airspace in the west of the country and suspended flights at Imam Khomeini International Airport in Tehran.
Iraq also announced the closure of its airspace for 72 hours, while Syria decided on a partial closure of its airspace in southern regions near the border with Israel for 12 hours.
These developments come at a time when diplomatic efforts aimed at containing the escalation and preventing the expansion of the confrontation continue, amid anticipation regarding the outcomes of political and military movements over the coming hours.
