Iran launched missiles at Israel on Sunday with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) saying it had targeted Israel’s Ramat David Airbase in the country’s north, opening a fresh escalation in the wider regional war.
The Israeli military confirmed missiles had been fired from Iran towards Israeli territory and said air defence systems had been activated in response.
In a statement, the IRGC said the strike was aimed at the Ramat David Airbase and linked the operation to ongoing Israeli attacks on armed groups in Lebanon, warning Israel to halt its Lebanese operations.
Israeli military spokesperson Effie Defrin described Iran’s action as a “grave mistake” and told reporters the military chief was assessing the situation and approving future operational plans. “The Israel Defense Forces will continue to operate throughout Lebanon. We are prepared for the possibility of additional firing,” he said.
The exchange comes against the backdrop of Tehran’s warning last week that it could issue a 30-day deadline to force a resolution on the Strait of Hormuz, and Washington’s decision to redirect frozen Iranian assets to Gulf reconstruction rather than release them to Tehran. The IRGC’s first direct missile strike on Israeli territory in this phase of the war risks pulling Lebanon further into the conflict and threatens shipping lanes that Sri Lanka’s crude oil imports continue to depend on.
The Newswire dispatch was filed at 5:11 AM Sri Lanka time on Monday. No casualty figures or further damage assessment had been released by either side at the time of publication.
Update — June 8: Iran’s foreign ministry confirmed in a formal statement on Monday that the country’s armed forces had struck “several military targets” north of “the occupied Palestinian territories,” framing the operation as a response to “repeated violations” of the April 17 ceasefire by both Israel and the United States — including US attacks on Iranian ships and southern Iran targets the previous weekend. “A ceasefire has been in force since 17 April — in name only — and has been violated repeatedly by both Israel and Iran,” the ministry said, per BBC reporting carried by Ada Derana. Tehran warned that any attack from Israel against Lebanon or against Iran itself would be met with “a crushing and comprehensive response.”
Sources: Newswire — Iran fires missiles at Israel; Tehran says strike targeted airbase, Ada Derana — Iran’s foreign ministry warns of ‘crushing’ response if Israel retaliates.
