JERUSALEM/WASHINGTON, June 8 — Israel conducted fresh military strikes targeting western and central Iran on Monday, directly contradicting explicit warnings from U.S. President Donald Trump to halt actions that could jeopardize upcoming peace negotiations with Tehran. The aerial bombardment utilized air-launched ballistic missiles against specified military installations, according to statements released by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards.
The geopolitical escalation immediately triggered volatility in global energy markets, forcing benchmark Brent crude futures up more than 3% to exceed $96 a barrel during early Monday trading.
The strikes occurred only hours after Trump dismissed Israel’s ability to stall American diplomatic efforts, asserting that the administration remains positioned to finalize a regional settlement.
“It’s not going to have any impact on the deal,” Trump told the Financial Times regarding the escalating friction. “I call the shots. I call all the shots. He doesn’t call the shots.”
The tactical exchange intensified earlier on Sunday when Iran responded to regional pressure by launching a salvo of retaliatory missiles directed at Israeli territory. The Israeli military confirmed its defense networks intercepted several incoming projectiles, which Iranian forces stated were aimed at the Ramat David air base near Nazareth.
Diplomatic sources noted that Trump had spoken directly with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by phone on Sunday from New Jersey, demanding a suspension of hostilities.
“We are close to doing something good in terms of a deal,” Trump told Netanyahu during the 30-minute call, according to a U.S. official quoted by Axios.
The ongoing regional friction is deeply tied to parallel operations in Lebanon, where Israel launched airstrikes on Beirut’s southern Dahiyeh district on Sunday for the first time since a U.S. truce framework was introduced. Netanyahu declared that the capital strikes were a necessary retaliation for Hezbollah rocket fire. Tehran has maintained that any enduring peace treaty with Washington remains contingent upon a permanent ceasefire inside Lebanon.
