Iran has accused the United States of bearing responsibility for the latest escalation in hostilities with Israel, arguing that Israeli military actions are inseparable from Washington’s broader regional strategy. The accusation came as Israel and Iran exchanged attacks for the first time since a ceasefire took effect two months ago, raising fears that the fragile truce could collapse and plunge the Middle East back into a wider conflict.
Speaking at a press conference in Tehran, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said Israel’s military operations could not be viewed independently of US policy.
“Without a doubt, as I said, the actions of the Zionist regime in the region cannot be separated from US policies,” Baqaei told reporters. “No one believes that the Zionist regime would carry out any action without prior coordination and cooperation with the United States.”
His comments reflected growing anger in Tehran following a series of military exchanges that have reignited tensions across multiple fronts, including Israel, Lebanon, Yemen, Iraq, and the Persian Gulf.
The latest violence began after Israel launched strikes that it said were a response to attacks linked to Iran and its regional allies. Iran subsequently fired missiles at Israeli military facilities, while Yemen’s Houthi movement launched its first missile attack against Israel since April and announced a ban on Israeli shipping through the Red Sea.
The developments represent the most serious deterioration in regional security since a ceasefire ended active fighting between Israel and Iran two months ago. That truce had followed a devastating regional war triggered by US and Israeli strikes on Iranian targets on February 28.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said Monday that they had targeted Israel’s Nevatim and Tel Nof air bases in response to what they described as Israeli aggression.
According to the Guards, the missile strikes were intended as a direct response to attacks carried out by Israel earlier in the day, including airstrikes against Beirut’s southern suburbs, an area known as a stronghold of Hezbollah, the Lebanese armed movement backed by Tehran.
The Revolutionary Guards characterized their operation as a warning to Israel and accused Israeli leaders of deliberately seeking to expand the conflict.
The exchange of fire came despite calls for restraint from US President Donald Trump, who publicly urged both sides to avoid further escalation.
Trump attempted to distance himself from suggestions that Washington was directing Israeli military decisions.
“I call the shots. I call all the shots. He doesn’t call the shots,” Trump said in an interview with the Financial Times, referring to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
In a separate interview with Fox News, Trump appealed directly to Tehran.
“What I would suggest to Iran: You’ve shot your missiles, that’s enough, get back to the table and make a deal,” he said.
However, Iranian officials dismissed suggestions that Washington was playing the role of a neutral mediator.
Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran’s parliament speaker and the country’s chief negotiator in talks with the United States, accused Washington of effectively authorizing Israel’s military actions.
He claimed the United States had given Israel a “green light” for the Beirut strike and warned that both American and Israeli assets were now considered “legitimate targets.”
At the center of the latest crisis is Israel’s strike on Beirut’s Dahiyeh district, a densely populated southern suburb where Hezbollah maintains significant influence.
Israel said the operation targeted a militant command center and was carried out in response to Hezbollah attacks against northern Israeli territory.
According to Netanyahu’s office, the military acted after Hezbollah launched missiles and drones toward two Israeli army barracks.
Hezbollah later confirmed responsibility for those attacks.
Lebanon’s health ministry reported that the Israeli strike killed two people and wounded at least 20 others.
The attack immediately drew condemnation from Tehran and further complicated efforts to preserve the ceasefire that had halted major fighting earlier this year.
Iran’s military leadership described the strike as a serious escalation.
The head of Iran’s military central command declared that Israel had “crossed all red lines” by attacking Beirut’s southern suburbs, signaling that Tehran viewed the operation as an attack not only on Hezbollah but also on Iran’s broader regional alliance network.
Iran has repeatedly insisted that any permanent settlement to the conflict must address developments in Lebanon alongside disputes involving Israel and Iran.
Officials in Tehran argue that the various conflicts unfolding across the region are interconnected and cannot be resolved separately.
Adding to concerns about a broader regional confrontation, Yemen’s Houthi rebels announced a missile attack against Israel on Monday.
The strike marked the group’s first direct attack on Israel since early April and underscored the continued role of Iranian-aligned forces in regional tensions.
More significantly, the Houthis declared a complete ban on Israeli maritime traffic in the Red Sea, one of the world’s most important commercial shipping routes.
“We declare a complete and total ban on Israeli maritime navigation in the Red Sea,” a statement issued by the group’s armed forces said.
The announcement immediately raised fears of renewed disruption to global trade and energy markets.
During previous periods of conflict, Houthi attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea forced shipping companies to reroute vessels around Africa, increasing transportation costs and causing delays in international supply chains.
Analysts warned that a prolonged maritime blockade could once again threaten global commerce and place additional pressure on already volatile energy markets.
The regional situation became even more complicated after Iran launched a separate attack targeting what it described as “terrorist groups” in Iraq’s Kurdish region.
Iranian authorities have long accused armed Kurdish organizations operating near the border of collaborating with Western intelligence agencies and Israeli interests.
The strike introduced another source of instability at a moment when diplomats are attempting to prevent the wider conflict from spiraling out of control.
Regional observers noted that simultaneous tensions in Lebanon, Yemen, Iraq, Israel, and Iran make diplomatic efforts significantly more difficult.
Each flashpoint carries the potential to trigger further retaliation, creating a cycle that could overwhelm existing ceasefire arrangements.
The renewed violence comes after weeks of negotiations aimed at securing a lasting settlement to the conflict.
Those discussions have so far failed to produce a comprehensive agreement capable of addressing the competing demands of the parties involved.
European leaders renewed calls for diplomacy following Monday’s exchanges.
European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas urged restraint from all sides and emphasized the importance of returning to negotiations.
She called on both Israel and Iran to “sit down at a negotiation table and agree.”
China also expressed concern over the renewed fighting.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said that a return to hostilities served no one’s interests and urged both parties to avoid further escalation.
“Resuming hostilities is not in any party’s interest,” Lin said.
Diplomatic activity continued behind the scenes over the weekend.
Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi traveled to Tehran carrying what he described as a “special letter” addressed to Iran’s Supreme Leader.
Iranian state television reported the visit as part of ongoing regional diplomatic efforts.
Pakistani officials later confirmed that Naqvi had returned home, although details of the message were not disclosed.
Observers interpreted the visit as evidence that regional governments remain actively engaged in efforts to prevent a wider war.
The latest military exchanges have also intensified concerns about the global economy.
Crude oil prices surged after the attacks, reflecting fears that hopes for an imminent reopening of the Strait of Hormuz may be fading.
The strategic waterway remains one of the world’s most important routes for oil and gas exports.
Any prolonged disruption could have significant consequences for international energy markets and consumer prices worldwide.
Market analysts warned that investors are increasingly nervous about the possibility of a broader conflict affecting energy infrastructure throughout the Gulf region.
The strike on an Iranian petrochemical complex further heightened those concerns, highlighting the vulnerability of critical industrial facilities.
While governments exchange accusations and military forces prepare for possible further confrontations, ordinary people across the region continue to bear the burden of prolonged instability.
In Iran, many residents say months of conflict and uncertainty have taken a heavy toll on daily life.
“I really have gone numb,” said Elaheh, a 32-year-old fitness trainer from the southwestern city of Ahvaz.
“Daily life? It’s a joke. Everything is horrible. We only try to survive,” she said, pointing to rising prices and growing economic hardship.
Her comments reflect broader frustrations among many Iranians who have faced inflation, uncertainty, and repeated security crises throughout the conflict.
As diplomatic efforts continue and international powers urge restraint, the situation remains highly volatile.
The resumption of direct attacks between Israel and Iran, combined with renewed involvement by Hezbollah and the Houthis, has revived fears of a multi-front regional war.
