TEHRAN - Iran has maintained that its missile attacks on Israel inflicted “painful” blows to the Tel Aviv regime, while holding the United States responsible for escalating tensions in West Asia.

Iranian armed forces launched a missile barrage at Israel on Sunday in response to the regime’s persistent attacks on Lebanon. The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) launched ballistic missiles at Ramat David Air Base in northern Israel.

Sirens blared in wide areas, including the occupied Golan Heights, Tiberias, Safed, Nazareth, Haifa, and several other cities, according to Israeli media.

The IRGC said the operation was completely successful.

On Monday, the IRGC struck Israel's strategic Nevatim and Tel Nof airbases following the regime’s aggression on several Iranian cities.

"The operation was carried out in response to the missile aggression of the child-killing Zionist regime against several radar sites in three locations across the country," an IRGC statement said.

The IRGC said it hit petrochemical facilities in the port city of Haifa with missiles, in reprisal for a similar Israeli attack on the Karoun petrochemical plant in Iran's southern port city of Mahshahr.

It emphasized that the Zionist regime had “launched a dangerous game” by attacking civilian facilities and energy infrastructure in Iran. It also warned that strikes on Iran's civilian infrastructure and energy facilities would expand the scope of retaliation, which will include all energy targets in the region.

On Monday afternoon, Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters announced the cessation of military operations against Israel.

It said the halt comes after Iran's powerful armed forces delivered a “painful” response to the "atrocities and mischief" of the "savage Zionist regime" in southern Lebanon and the Dahiyeh district, which were carried out with the support of "criminal America". "The fake Zionist regime and its supporters must learn a lesson from this response."

The headquarters emphasized that while operations have been halted, "much more intense and crushing measures than before" will be taken if aggression and mischief, including in southern Lebanon, continue.

"The powerful armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran have proven that they are at the peak of defensive and offensive readiness…and will make the American and Zionist enemies regret their actions," the spokesman of the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters said.

Ebrahim Zolfaghari added, “If aggression and mischief continue, they will be dealt with even greater intensity.”

US responsible for escalation

In his weekly press briefing on Monday, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman also said Washington is responsible for any escalation in the region.

"In our region, nobody believes that the Zionist regime carries out any action without prior coordination and cooperation with the United States," Esmaeil Baghaei said.

He added, "Right now, we have information that the United States is coordinating with the regime in both offensive and defensive matters. Some may argue that the Zionist regime does not listen to the United States, but the responsibility of the United States as a party to the ceasefire is clear."

"The responsibility of the United States is clear, and the consequences of any escalation will rest with the United States," Baghaei said.

Meanwhile, fresh reports have cast doubt on Washington's claims that it was not involved in the latest Israeli strikes on Iranian territory.

Israel coordinated its early Monday attacks on positions inside Iran with the United States, according to a report by the Israeli newspaper Israel Hayom.

Citing an unnamed source, the newspaper said the attacks were carried out in coordination with Washington despite White House assertions that the United States had no role in the operation.

Israeli army radio also reported, citing sources, that although the strikes were conducted by Israel, the United States assisted by intercepting some of the missiles fired during the confrontation.

The reports contradicted claims by American officials that the US military did not participate in the aggression against Iran.

The revelations came after Axios reported that President Donald Trump had urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a telephone conversation on Sunday to avoid further military escalation, arguing that negotiations with Tehran were approaching a critical stage.

According to Axios, Trump told Netanyahu that "we are close to doing something good in terms of a deal."

Iranian officials and analysts have long maintained that the Zionist regime is incapable of launching major military operations against Iran or the regional Resistance Axis without prior coordination and backing from Washington.

Pezeshkian: Iran won’t retreat from threat 

President Masoud Pezeshkian put emphasis on Iran’s unwavering stance in the face of any threat.

“We will defend the rights of the nation with authority and will not retreat from any threat," he said on X.

Pezeshkian noted that “diplomacy and defense” constitute the two essential components of national power. He said Tehran has neither abandoned the battlefield nor the negotiating table.

Through national unity and rationality, Iran would successfully emerge from the current challenges, the president pointed out.

Israeli crimes in Lebanon 

The IRGC said its operation was in response to Israel's "widespread crimes" in southern Lebanon, including the killing and displacement of civilians.

Israel, with a US greenlight and the silence of international organizations, has continued its deadly strikes against the Lebanese people on a daily basis, committing war crimes by using banned weapons, including phosphorus bombs, Iranian officials say.

For many observers in Iran, Washington's repeated claims that it is not involved in Israeli attacks against the Islamic Republic amount to little more than political theater.

Iranian analysts argue that Israel has never carried out major acts of aggression against Iran, Lebanon, or other members of the Resistance Axis without a US greenlight, logistical support, intelligence sharing, or diplomatic cover.

The argument gained further traction during the US-Israeli war against Iran in June 2025 and again following the aggression launched against Iran on February 28, when Washington and Tel Aviv sought to impose their demands through military pressure.

However, Iran's powerful retaliatory strikes altered the course of the confrontation and ultimately compelled the United States to accept the April 8 ceasefire following the February 28 aggression. 

The ceasefire was understood to include an end to Israeli attacks on Lebanon, yet Iranian officials say both Washington and Tel Aviv have repeatedly violated their commitments by allowing continued aggression against Lebanese territory.

Following its failure to achieve its objectives militarily, the United States imposed a naval blockade on Iran in mid-April and intensified economic pressure in an effort to weaken the country. But these measures have likewise failed to force Tehran into retreat.

A new equation 

Iran's latest missile strikes on Israel have established what experts describe as a "new equation" in the region: any Israeli aggression against Lebanon is no longer viewed as a separate matter but as a violation of the broader ceasefire arrangement reached between Iran and the United States on April 8.

Iranian military authorities have warned that continued attacks against Lebanon will be met with a crushing response and that the scope of retaliation could expand further if provocations persist.

In this context, analysts say the ball is now in Washington's court. The United States must decide whether it is willing to rein in Netanyahu and prevent a wider regional conflict or continue down a path of escalation with potentially unforeseen consequences.

The stakes are particularly high for the Trump administration. After more than 100 days of confrontation with Iran and an estimated $100 billion blow to the US economy, pressure is mounting on Washington to find a way out of the crisis.

Iran's control over the Strait of Hormuz and the continuing instability in regional energy markets have contributed to rising inflationary pressures and higher fuel costs in the United States. 
Analysts warn that a prolonged confrontation could further complicate Trump's political position ahead of the November congressional midterm elections.

Tehran, meanwhile, insists that it seeks neither war nor escalation but will respond decisively to any aggression. Iranian officials say the country's armed forces have demonstrated both their capability and determination and that any future attack on Iran or Lebanon will be met with a far stronger response.