‘Fire on hold’: Netanyahu warns Iran against renewed attacks

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday said hostilities with Iran are currently "on hold" after Tehran halted its missile attacks, but warned that Israel would respond with overwhelming force if Iran resumed its offensive.

In his first televised address more than 20 hours after Iran launched missiles at Israel on Sunday night, Netanyahu said the immediate exchange of fire had ceased but stressed that Israel remained prepared for further escalation.

"At the moment, the fire is on hold because after that, it (Iran) stopped attacking us," Netanyahu said.

"If Iran makes the mistake of attacking us again, we will respond with force," he added.

Netanyahu revealed that he had ordered the Israeli military to strike both military and economic targets across Iran on Monday, underscoring Israel's willingness to expand its response beyond battlefield objectives.

The remarks came as signs emerged of a tentative de-escalation between the two regional rivals after days of heightened tensions.

Shortly after Netanyahu's statement, Israel's Home Front Command announced that most civil defence restrictions imposed across the country would be lifted from 6 am on Tuesday. While normal activity is expected to resume in most areas, some restrictions will remain in force in communities near the Lebanese border.

On the Iranian side, the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, the country's main military command, announced that Iranian armed forces had concluded their operations against Israel.

According to Iran's semi-official Fars news agency, the military command said the operation had been carried out in support of the Lebanese people following Israeli attacks in southern Lebanon and Beirut's Dahieh district, a Hezbollah stronghold.

However, Tehran paired the announcement with a stark warning.

The headquarters said any further Israeli "aggression and malicious acts", including operations in southern Lebanon, would trigger a far more "severe and crushing" response.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian also sought to project both resolve and openness to diplomacy, saying Tehran would continue to defend its interests while keeping diplomatic channels open.

"Our priority is national security and the peace of our people. We will defend the rights of the nation with authority and will not retreat in the face of any threat," Pezeshkian wrote on X.

"Diplomacy and defence are the two wings of national power; we have neither abandoned the field nor the negotiating table."

The parallel statements from Jerusalem and Tehran suggest a temporary pause in direct hostilities, though both sides have made clear that any renewed attack could quickly reignite the conflict.

While Israel is easing domestic emergency measures and Iran says its operation has ended, the exchange of warnings from both governments highlights the fragile nature of the current calm and the risk of another rapid escalation in the region.

With IANS inputs