Israel launched strikes against Iran despite Trump's calls
The Israel Defense Forces carried out strikes on military targets in western and central Iran. According to reports, the attacks took place despite a call by U.S. President Donald Trump to refrain from further escalation. Explosions were reported in at least three cities.
The IDF confirmed strikes on military targets in western and central Iran. According to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Israel used air-launched ballistic missiles. Explosions were heard in Tehran, Tabriz, and Isfahan, as reported by Iranian state media.
The day before, Trump personally called Netanyahu and asked him not to launch a retaliatory strike against the Iranian missiles—hoping to preserve the diplomatic process. In an interview with Fox News, the U.S. president called Iran’s actions “unhelpful” and urged Tehran to return to the negotiating table.
Despite this, Israel struck. Trump reacted harshly in an interview with the FT: “He doesn’t make decisions. I make all the decisions. He doesn’t,” adding that Israel “will accept any deal” the U.S. strikes with Iran.
Ali Velayati, a senior adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader, warned: if Israel continues to escalate, Tehran may block the Bab el-Mandeb Strait—a key maritime corridor between the Red Sea and the Suez Canal.
“The current situation in Bab el-Mandeb should not lead the enemy to miscalculate. The choice is yours: stop this madness or face a response,” Velayati stated.
About 15% of global maritime trade passes through the strait. Previous attacks by Yemeni Houthis on ships in this area between 2023 and 2025 cost the global economy approximately $20 billion per year.
In addition, Iran’s IRGC struck “terrorist groups” in Sulaymaniyah in northern Iraq.
CNN reported this.
Earlier, Iran launched a missile strike on the Ali Al-Salem Air Base in Kuwait, where U.S. military personnel and contractors were stationed. The attack resulted in minor injuries among personnel and damage to U.S. drones. The incident occurred amid U.S. efforts to negotiate an extension of the ceasefire with Tehran.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is alive and continues to interact with his inner circle, although he does so cautiously and primarily through written messages and intermediaries. Officials in Washington note that his activity has been increasing recently.
