Iran Declares Retaliation Against Israel Over, Warns Against Any Strikes on Lebanon
Iran has stopped responding, but warns any attack on Lebanon will be treated like an attack on Iran
Iran’s military has announced the cessation of its retaliatory strikes on Israel, and in doing so has established what it describes as a new standing equation: any attack on Lebanon is equivalent to an attack on Iran, and will be met with an immediate missile response.
The Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters said its operation is complete, but the suspension is explicitly conditional. If Israel continues to violate the April 8 ceasefire by attacking southern Lebanon, Iran will respond by striking Israel directly, without warning. The ball is now in Netanyahu’s court, the war criminal must cease all military attacks in Lebanon or face further responses from Iran.
Israeli military activity in Lebanon and Gaza has slowed markedly since Iran began striking back on Sunday night. We have recorded a number of attacks in overnight and this morning, but nothing that comes close to the frequency of attacks seen previously.
In the last 18 hours, Iran fired 24 ballistic missiles at Israel across three waves; Israel struck nine Iranian air defense systems in western and central Iran in response, with Iranian sources putting targets hit at 15. The Houthis joined the exchange, firing one missile at Tel Aviv. Iran says all of its strikes landed, while Israel says all incoming missiles were intercepted.
Preliminary reports suggest both are dishonest in their accounts, as at least one successful strike had been reported last night, while a number of interceptions had been observed.
The exchange of fire was triggered by an Israeli attack on Beirut, which Iran explicitly warned against. The Khatam al-Anbiya command said Israel had crossed “all red lines” by continuing to strike Beirut’s southern suburbs and widen its offensive in southern Lebanon. The operation, it said, was carried out in support of “the oppressed people of Lebanon.”
The pause in fighting comes as the Israeli regime has also closed humanitarian aid into Gaza, where the genocide continues, leaving the enclave under total siege.
Trump, who publicly told Netanyahu not to retaliate against Iran’s initial strikes, posted on Truth Social that both sides want “an immediate ceasefire.” It is unknown if Trump’s influence had any effect on the decision, but it is highly unlikely as his demands have not been met, while Iran signalled it will not treat the USA as an honest broker.