Washington/Tel Aviv, June 8 — Israel carried out fresh strikes on military targets in western and central Iran on Monday, hours after US President Donald Trump reportedly urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to refrain from actions that could jeopardise ongoing efforts to end the wider regional conflict.
The Israeli military said it had targeted military sites inside Iran, while Iran's Revolutionary Guards accused Israel of conducting attacks using air-launched ballistic missiles.
The escalation came after Iran launched missiles towards Israel in response to Israeli strikes, further straining diplomatic efforts aimed at securing a broader ceasefire and reviving negotiations between Washington and Tehran.
Despite the exchange of attacks, Trump insisted that prospects for a peace agreement remained intact.
“It’s not going to have any impact on the deal,” Trump told the Financial Times. “I call the shots. I call all the shots. He doesn’t call the shots.”
According to a US official cited by Axios, Trump told Netanyahu during a phone conversation on Sunday to avoid further strikes because “we are close to doing something good in terms of a deal.”
An Israeli official confirmed that Trump and Netanyahu spoke by phone for less than 30 minutes on Sunday, though no details of the discussion were officially released.
Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they had targeted the Ramat David air base near Nazareth in retaliation. The Israeli military said it detected missile launches from Iran and that its air defence systems intercepted the projectiles.
The latest round of hostilities rattled energy markets, with Brent crude futures rising more than three per cent in early trading and moving back above $96 a barrel.
Tensions have persisted despite ongoing US-Iran negotiations intended to halt the broader conflict. While Washington has sought diplomatic progress, Israel has continued military operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon, arguing that the campaign is separate from discussions involving Iran.
On Sunday, Israel struck Beirut's southern suburbs, including the Dahiyeh area, a long-time Hezbollah stronghold. Netanyahu said the strikes were ordered in response to Hezbollah attacks directed at Israel.
Tehran has repeatedly linked any agreement with Washington to a durable ceasefire in Lebanon. Iranian officials maintain that continued Israeli operations undermine prospects for a comprehensive settlement.
Iranian parliamentary speaker Mohammed Baqer Qalibaf said US bases and Israeli assets remained legitimate targets because of what he described as hostile actions and violations of understandings related to Lebanon.
Trump has repeatedly said his administration is close to securing an agreement aimed at ending the conflict and preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
“We're very close to a deal, or I'm going to blow the hell out of them,” Trump said in an interview with NBC News aired on Sunday.
The conflict has disrupted global energy supplies, with shipping through the Strait of Hormuz remaining severely affected. Negotiators have been discussing measures that could ease tensions, reopen maritime routes and address sanctions imposed on Iran.
Iran, meanwhile, continues to seek sanctions relief, access to frozen assets and recognition of its strategic interests in the Gulf region as part of any final agreement.