The ceasefire that had held since April fractured before dawn
On the hundredth day of a war born from the killing of a supreme leader, Israel struck deep into Iran before dawn, sending explosions across Tehran, Isfahan, Karaj, and Tabriz despite a personal appeal from Donald Trump to hold back. The fragile ceasefire that had quieted the region since April has now openly fractured, undone by the interlocking pressures of Lebanon, Hezbollah, and a dispute over who controls passage through the world's most consequential waterway. What hangs in the balance is not merely a bilateral conflict but the stability of an entire region — and the question of whether any power, including the United States, retains the will or the leverage to pull two adversaries back from the edge.
- Israel launched air-launched ballistic missiles into Iran's heartland — striking Tehran, Isfahan, Karaj, and Tabriz — just hours after Iranian missiles targeted an Israeli air base near Nazareth, shattering a ceasefire that had held since April.
- Trump personally called Netanyahu from a New Jersey golf club Sunday evening to urge restraint; the call lasted under thirty minutes, and Israel struck anyway, signaling that Washington's influence over its closest Middle East ally may be reaching its limits.
- The unraveling began in Lebanon, where Israel struck the Beirut area for the first time since a US-brokered truce plan was announced — a plan Hezbollah had already rejected — pulling Iran's Revolutionary Guard back into direct retaliation.
- Iran's demand to charge transit fees on ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz — through which roughly one-fifth of global oil and gas flows — has added an economic flashpoint to the military one, with the US, Oman, and Iran all offering contradictory accounts of where negotiations stand.
- Inside Israel, schools were cancelled nationwide for the first time since the April ceasefire, civilians were ordered to shelter, and a journalist in Jerusalem reported hearing an explosion — the war, once felt at a distance, now pressing into ordinary life.
- The EU's top diplomat called for immediate de-escalation, but with Iran insisting any peace deal must include a Lebanon ceasefire Israel refuses to accept, and both sides demonstrating willingness to strike, the path back to the negotiating table grows harder to see.
The ceasefire that had quieted the region since April broke before dawn on Monday. Israel launched airstrikes across central and western Iran — using air-launched ballistic missiles, Iranian officials said — after Tehran had fired on Israel's Ramat David air base near Nazareth hours earlier. Explosions were reported in Tehran, Isfahan, Karaj, and Tabriz. Iran closed airspace around its main international airport. Neither side released damage assessments, and the White House declined to say whether the strikes had been coordinated with Washington.
The timing carried its own weight. Donald Trump had called Benjamin Netanyahu from his New Jersey golf club Sunday evening, urging him not to retaliate immediately. The call lasted less than half an hour. Netanyahu struck anyway. It was the 100th day of a conflict that began on February 28, when Israel and the United States killed Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, along with senior commanders. The ceasefire that followed in April had always been fragile.
What unraveled it was Lebanon. Israel had invaded in March, pursuing Hezbollah fighters firing rockets across the border in solidarity with Iran. On Sunday, Israeli forces struck the Beirut area for the first time since the US announced a truce plan for Lebanon — a plan Hezbollah had firmly rejected. Iran's Revolutionary Guard responded by targeting the Ramat David base. Then came the Israeli strikes on Iran itself.
The escalation threatened to pull the wider region back into open war. The EU's top diplomat called for immediate de-escalation, but the underlying tensions ran deeper than any single exchange of strikes. Iran had made clear that any permanent peace deal must include a ceasefire in Lebanon — a condition Israel showed no sign of accepting. Iran was also pressing for the right to charge transit fees on ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly one-fifth of the world's oil and gas flows. Trump had warned Oman against cooperating with any toll scheme. Iran's ambassador to Moscow said fees would vary by ship type and cargo. The US Treasury Secretary claimed Oman had assured him no tolls were planned. The disagreement remained unresolved.
Inside Israel, the escalation was already reshaping daily life. Schools were cancelled nationwide for the first time since the April ceasefire. The army updated civilian guidelines, restricting large gatherings and ordering people to shelter as new waves of Iranian missiles were reported incoming. Yemen's Houthis also launched a missile toward Israeli territory. When asked whether the strikes contradicted his promise to keep America out of new foreign wars, Trump pushed back: 'I didn't guarantee no war.' Whether the US was truly out of this conflict — or simply operating at arm's length — remained an open question. What was clear was that both sides had shown they were willing to strike, and that the ceasefire was now openly collapsing.
The ceasefire that had held since April fractured before dawn on Monday. Israel launched airstrikes across central and western Iran—using air-launched ballistic missiles, according to Iranian officials—in response to missile fire Tehran had sent hours earlier. Explosions were heard in Tehran, Isfahan, Karaj, and Tabriz. A witness in the capital described at least one large blast to the west. Iran immediately closed airspace around its main international airport. Neither side released damage assessments, and the White House offered no comment on whether the strikes had been coordinated with the United States.
The timing mattered. Donald Trump had called Benjamin Netanyahu from his golf club in New Jersey on Sunday evening, urging the Israeli prime minister not to strike back immediately. The call lasted less than half an hour. Netanyahu proceeded anyway. This was the 100th day of active conflict between the two countries—a war that had begun on February 28 when Israel and the United States killed Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, along with other senior commanders. The nominal ceasefire that followed on April 8 had always been fragile, held together by the thinnest thread of diplomatic effort.
What unraveled it was Lebanon. Israel had invaded in March, pursuing Hezbollah fighters who had fired rockets and drones across the border in solidarity with Iran. On Sunday, Israeli forces struck the Beirut area for the first time since the US had announced a truce plan for Lebanon the week before—a plan Hezbollah had firmly rejected. Iran's Revolutionary Guard responded by targeting Israel's Ramat David air base near Nazareth. The Israeli military said it intercepted the incoming missiles. Then came the Israeli airstrikes on Iran itself.
The escalation threatened to pull the entire region back into open war. The European Union's top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, called for immediate de-escalation and a return to the negotiating table. But the underlying tensions ran deeper than any single exchange of strikes. Iran had made clear that any permanent peace deal would have to include a ceasefire in Lebanon—a condition Israel showed no sign of accepting. Meanwhile, Iran was also demanding something else: the right to charge transit fees for ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, the waterway through which roughly one-fifth of the world's oil and natural gas normally flows. Trump had explicitly warned Oman against cooperating with Iran on any toll scheme. Iran's ambassador to Moscow said the fees would vary by ship type, cargo, and conditions. The US Treasury Secretary claimed Oman had assured him no tolls were planned. The disagreement hung unresolved.
On the ground in Israel, the escalation was already reshaping daily life. The military cancelled school across the entire country for the first time since the April ceasefire—a measure not taken even during the earlier rounds of fighting with Iran, though schools in the north had remained closed much longer due to the threat of Hezbollah fire from across the Lebanese border. The army updated its guidelines for civilians, restricting large gatherings and ordering people to take shelter as new waves of Iranian missiles were reported incoming. A journalist in Jerusalem reported hearing an explosion. The Israeli military said it had identified missiles launched from Iran and was working to intercept them. Yemen's Houthis, aligned with Iran, had also entered the fray, launching a missile toward Israeli territory; Saudi civil defence later said the danger had passed in one governorate.
Trump, when asked about the strikes and whether they contradicted his campaign promise to keep America out of new foreign wars, pushed back hard. "I didn't guarantee no war," he said in a Meet the Press interview. "Why would I have built the strongest military in the world?" The question of whether the US was truly out of this conflict—or simply operating at arm's length—remained unanswered. The White House had not responded to inquiries about coordination. What was clear was that the ceasefire, already strained by fighting in Lebanon and disputes over the Strait of Hormuz, was now openly collapsing. Both sides had shown they were willing to strike. The question was whether either would show restraint.
Citas Notables
I didn't guarantee no war. Why would I have built the strongest military in the world?— Donald Trump, in Meet the Press interview
The region does not need an escalation, but parties should sit down to a negotiation table and agree— Kaja Kallas, EU's top diplomat
La Conversación del Hearth Otra perspectiva de la historia
Why did Trump call Netanyahu if he knew the strikes were likely anyway?
Trump was trying to manage the optics—to say he'd urged restraint even if he couldn't enforce it. But Netanyahu had his own calculus. Iran had just fired missiles. Waiting looked weak.
What makes this ceasefire different from the one in April?
April's ceasefire was always conditional. It depended on Lebanon staying quiet and on both sides accepting the status quo. Neither of those things held. Israel kept striking Beirut. Iran kept demanding control over the Strait of Hormuz.
Why does Iran care so much about charging transit fees?
Because it's leverage. One-fifth of global oil flows through that strait. If Iran can tax it, it controls something the whole world needs. It's a way to turn geography into power.
Is the US actually out of this war?
Officially, yes. But Trump built the military that struck first in February. He's urging restraint now, but he's not stopping anything. It's a kind of half-in, half-out position that satisfies no one.
What happens if schools stay closed?
It signals to Israelis that this is serious—that the threat is real enough to disrupt childhood. That's when people stop thinking about politics and start thinking about survival.