Iran and Israel announced a halt to military operations between them after a military escalation and an exchange of attacks over the past hours.
The Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters of the Iranian armed forces said in a statement today, Monday, June 8, that Iran was announcing the suspension of its armed forces' operations, but warned of “harsher and crushing measures†if what it described as “aggression and atrocities†continue, including in southern Lebanon.
The headquarters added that Iran's armed forces carried out a “harsh response†against Israel in support of what it described as “the oppressed Lebanese people,†accusing the United States of backing Israeli attacks.
The New York Times quoted Israeli military officials as saying that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had instructed the army to stop preparations for another attack on Iran.
The Israeli newspaper Israel Hayom, for its part, cited unnamed sources as saying that Israel and the United States had conveyed a message to Iran that it would not be attacked if it did not open fire again.
Iran's announcement that attacks on Israel had stopped came after the military confrontation between Tehran and Tel Aviv escalated, with both sides exchanging attacks.
Israel's Channel 12 reported that the army was preparing for the possibility that the fighting could continue for a long period, as Iranian media announced the launch of missiles from Iran and Lebanon toward the occupied territories.
Fars News Agency said the armed forces launched a new wave of missiles toward Israel, before the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced the start of “Operation Victory†in response to Israeli missile attacks that targeted radar sites in three areas of Iran.
The Revolutionary Guard said it targeted a petrochemical industries complex in the city of Haifa, after Israeli strikes on similar facilities in the city of Mahshahr.
In return, Israeli media reported that the air force launched several attacks on Iranian targets, including components inside the petrochemical complex in the city of Mahshahr.
The Israeli attack came after air defense systems detected and intercepted several waves of Iranian attacks toward Israel.
Israeli media reported hearing explosions in the central region and Greater Tel Aviv, while the Home Front Command issued early warnings in several areas in northern, central and southern Israel after detecting missiles from Iran.
Calls for Calm
International and regional reactions calling for the containment of the military escalation between Iran and Israel continued, amid calls for calm from China, Britain, France, Qatar, and Egypt.
US President Donald Trump also called on Iran and Israel to stop firing immediately after the mutual military escalation between the two sides.
Trump said in a post on Truth Social that Israel and Iran must immediately stop firing, amid continued tensions and mutual strikes in the region.
In later remarks to Western media, Trump said he expected Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to accept any agreement that may be reached between the United States and Iran, stressing that the final decision on this file belongs to Washington.
Effects on Syria
The repercussions of the Iranian Israeli military escalation were not absent from the Syrian scene. A large fire broke out in the Najha area of Rural Damascus Governorate, after the remains of an Iranian missile intercepted by Israeli air defenses fell in the sky over the area.
The Syrian Civil Defense said the fall of the missile debris caused one agricultural crop in the area to catch fire, coinciding with the fall of another missile in the Harjallah area, which belongs to the al-Kiswah district in Rural Damascus Governorate.
Enab Baladi's correspondent in Daraa reported that an Iranian missile fell in the Tafas area of western Daraa Governorate (southern Syria), while fragments of Iranian missiles fell in the Quneitra countryside (southwestern Syria).
Rerouting Syrian Pilgrims' Flights
The Syrian Ministry of Endowments announced the scheduling of two flights for Syrian pilgrims returning today, Monday, from Prince Mohammad Bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Saudi Arabia to Queen Alia International Airport in Jordan.
The ministry confirmed that it had secured buses to transport the pilgrims by land from Jordan to Damascus and Aleppo, noting that pilgrims and their families would be provided with any updates.
Mazen Alloush, public relations director at the Syrian General Authority for Border Crossings and Customs, expected about 700 Syrian pilgrims to arrive on the two rescheduled flights.
The Ministry of Endowments' measures came after the Syrian Civil Aviation Authority decided to extend the closure of Syria's southern air corridors until 11 p.m. today, Monday, before reopening them.
The Aviation Authority said the decision to reopen Syrian airspace came after operational conditions improved and the necessary requirements were available to ensure the safety and security of air navigation.
