Trump Secures Pause After Iran-Israel Exchange Redraws Deterrence Lines

(MENAFN- Kashmir Observer) Tehran/Jerusalem - Iran launched ballistic missiles at Israel on Sunday in retaliation for Israeli airstrikes on Beirut's southern suburb of Dahiyeh, marking the first time Tehran has directly attacked Israel in response to an Israeli strike on a third country.

Air raid sirens sounded across northern Israel as Iranian missiles targeted military sites, including the Ramat David Airbase, according to Iranian media. Israel responded with limited strikes on targets inside Iran, raising fears of a broader regional conflict.

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Iran's Revolutionary Guards said the attack was retaliation for Israeli violations of ceasefire arrangements in Lebanon and warned that any further aggression would trigger a broader response.

“We had previously warned that if crimes expand in Beirut's Dahiyeh, we will strike targets within the occupied territories,” Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya military headquarters said.

Israel vowed retaliation, with military spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin saying Iran had made“a grave mistake”. However, U.S. President Donald Trump intervened, urging both sides to avoid escalation and pushing for an immediate halt to hostilities.

“We're very close. I would say an agreement would be signed on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday of this coming week. And now this takes place,” Trump told Fox News, referring to ongoing diplomatic efforts.

Trump also criticised Israel's earlier strike on Beirut, saying,“I'm not happy about it.”

Following U.S. mediation, both sides signalled a pause in military operations, although each warned it would respond to future attacks.

Beyond the military exchange, analysts said the strike could represent a major strategic shift. Iran's response signalled that attacks on Lebanon could now trigger direct Iranian retaliation against Israel, effectively linking multiple regional fronts.

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“What the Iranians were trying to do, and what really worries the Israelis, is that they were trying to extend their deterrence,” said Trita Parsi of the Quincy Institute.“It would be the first time in a very long time that a major power would put real hard power behind a warning or a deterrent against an attack by Israel on a third country.”

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Regional analysts described the strike as the beginning of a new deterrence equation.

“This is the first time Iran has struck Israel after Israel struck another country's territory,” one analyst said.“Iran has now proven that it will also respond to Israeli strikes on Lebanon.”

The exchange came after Israeli airstrikes on Beirut's southern suburbs killed two people and wounded 20 others, according to Lebanese authorities, threatening to unravel recent ceasefire efforts and underscoring the risk of a wider confrontation involving Iran, Israel, Hezbollah and the United States.

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