AGENCIES

Iran and Israel yesterday said that hostilities between them had halted, after the two countries exchanged strikes that threatened to reignite the Middle East war.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that the “fire on that front is contained” hours after Tehran said it had stopped its military action against Israel.

Tehran launched missiles at Israel on Sunday over its ongoing war against Hezbollah in Lebanon, which prompted Israel to strike back, despite efforts by US President Donald Trump to dissuade Netanyahu from doing so.

That triggered another round of Iranian missiles, before Tehran announced it would cease fire.

Iran has sought for weeks to link the wider Middle East truce, in place since April 8, to Israel’s war against Hezbollah, warning that attacks on Lebanon would force it to act.

It yesterday said it would attack again if Israel persisted with its strikes in Lebanon. Netanyahu warned in turn that should Iran “make the mistake of resuming attacks against us, we will respond with full force”.

Defying Iran’s warning, an Israeli strike hit a vehicle in the city of Tyre, in southern Lebanon, Lebanese state media reported. Hezbollah meanwhile said it had targeted Israeli troops in Lebanon, but did not claim any attacks on Israeli territory.

Earlier, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz insisted that the campaign in Lebanon would carry on regardless and said Israel would strike the Hezbollah-dominated southern suburbs of Beirut in retaliation for each attack on northern Israel by the militant group.

In one of several posts on social media, Trump said Israel and Iran both wanted “an immediate CEASEFIRE! Final negotiations on No casualties

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