Israel and Iran resumed mutual strikes for the first time since the truce. What the media is writing

Israel and Iran exchanged missile strikes for the first time since the truce concluded in April. Tehran launched strikes after Israeli forces shelled the southern suburbs of Beirut in Lebanon. In response, the Israel Defense Forces attacked a petrochemical plant in Iran. Prior to these attacks, US President Donald Trump had urged the parties to refrain from military action. What the media write about the escalation in the Middle East is in the Izvestia digest.

The Washington Post: Israel attacked Iran after its rocket attack

Israel announced attacks on military targets in Iran a few hours after Tehran fired rockets at the country for the first time since the ceasefire agreement came into force in early April. The shootout threatened to further complicate efforts to conclude a lasting peace agreement that would end the months-long U.S.-Israeli war with Tehran, and raised the possibility of a resumption of open conflict.

The Israel Defense Forces reported the discovery of incoming missiles from Iran, causing sirens to wail throughout the country. The military announced the interception of all missiles. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran explained that it had attacked the Ramat David airbase in northern Israel, calling it the "source" of aggression against southern Lebanon and the southern suburbs of Beirut. US President Donald Trump said he was "unhappy" with Israel's strikes on the suburbs of Beirut and that Iran's rocket attacks on Israel "definitely won't help the negotiations."

Reuters: Israel attacked an Iranian petrochemical plant

Israel said it had struck a petrochemical plant in southwestern Iran, as well as other military targets, after Trump called on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to refrain from further attacks. Israel said it had carried out its first strike on an energy facility since the ceasefire on April 8, hitting targets at the petrochemical complex in Mahshahr. At the same time, a representative of the province reported damage to part of the plant.

Iran responded by firing 11 ballistic missiles at Israel, said Iran's ambassador to the United States, Yehiel Leiter. He added that Israel had attacked Iranian surface-to-surface missile launchers and infrastructure facilities. Iranian state television reported on the evacuation of the plant's employees and the absence of casualties, adding that five production lines of the complex have been damaged since the beginning of the war in Iran.

Tasnim: IRGC attacked Haifa petrochemical facilities

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it had launched ballistic missile strikes on petrochemical facilities in Haifa, warning that attacks on Iran's energy infrastructure would expand the scale of the regional confrontation and that the United States would be responsible for the consequences. The statement also warned that Israel had "started a dangerous game" by attacking civilian targets and Iran's energy infrastructure.

The statement came amid the ongoing escalation in the region following Israeli attacks on Iranian industrial facilities in Khuzestan province. Local authorities said that the Karun petrochemical company in Mahshahr was subjected to an Israeli air attack, which caused damage.

Bloomberg: Oil prices rose sharply amid heightened tensions

Oil prices have surged following a shootout between Iran and Israel that has jeopardized a fragile truce in the Middle East. The price of Brent crude oil jumped 5.1% to $97.83 per barrel, while the price of WTI crude oil approached $95. Israel said it had struck military targets in Iran in response to earlier rocket attacks from Tehran, despite President Trump's call for Netanyahu to refrain from retaliatory strikes.

The European benchmark for natural gas prices has also jumped as the risk of a protracted conflict threatens to stifle global exports of liquefied natural gas at a time when the region needs to replenish reserves. Even if a peace agreement is reached between the United States and Iran, the resumption of normal oil supplies will be difficult due to numerous obstacles. To do this, it is necessary to defuse mines in the Strait of Hormuz, the restart of the stopped deposits may take several months, and damage to the energy infrastructure caused by drones and missiles must be repaired.

Neither war nor peace: what will the new exchanges of blows between Iran and the United States lead to?

Washington and Tehran are stuck in a gray area of negotiations, but still want to make a deal.

Axios: Trump urges Netanyahu not to strike Iran

According to a senior American official and an Israeli source, Trump urged Netanyahu not to retaliate against Iran with a missile strike and to give more time for diplomatic negotiations. Trump's attempt to contain Israel's retaliatory actions demonstrates his administration's desire to prevent the escalation of tensions between Israel and Iran from disrupting the ongoing US negotiations with Tehran.

According to the official, Netanyahu initially resisted, but eventually gave a "pseudo-agreement" to postpone the strike. The official said Sunday's conversation was calmer than the tense exchange between the leaders last week, and that Trump did not raise his voice at Netanyahu. Trump said Netanyahu "will have no choice" but to accept any agreement that the United States enters into during negotiations with Iran.