Iran and Israel reach calm after first direct attacks during ceasefire

Iran and Israel are now committing to de-escalate after an exchange of attacks, the first since an alleged "ceasefire" between Tehran and the US began in April.

And it was all centered around Lebanon: Iran's barrage of missiles came after Israel's attack on the outskirts of Beirut, which it said was in retaliation to a Hezbollah strike.

It is seen as the first time Tehran has moved militarily to defend another country, or one of its proxies, against Israel.

While the Middle East region has been effectively in war since Israel and the US began striking Iran in late February, the fresh hostilities of direct attacks since April threatened a possible return to "full-scale war" again.

For now, after the pleading of US president Donald Trump, both Iran and Israel have backed away from further attacks—but saying they're ready for more.

How did these events come about?

• The war on Iran began on 28 February, when Israeli and US strikes assassinated supreme leader Ali Khamenei and other Iranian officials.
• There are prolonged talks about a peace deal between Iran and the US. The two have a rocky "ceasefire" along with warring blockades in the Strait of Hormuz.
• Israel has attacked Lebanon and expanded its occupation of southern Lebanon as part of its strikes against the Iran-backed Hezbollah group.
• An earlier deal reached by Pakistani negotiators outlined that Lebanon (and Gaza) is included in a ceasefire with all three parties, yet Israel contests they're separate fronts.
• Plus, Israel and Lebanon—not including Hezbollah—have reached "ceasefires" that Israel continues to violate.
• After a lull in Iran-US negotiations and as Israel escalated in Lebanon, Tehran threatened that it would respond if Beirut was struck.
• Israel said that Hezbollah attacked northern Israel on 7 June and, in response, its military struck southern suburbs of Lebanon's capital.
• Iran followed through with its threat and launched missiles on Israel.
• Trump said the two countries "must immediately stop 'shooting'" in a social media post, and called Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
• And with "Trump's admonition," Israel hit military targets in central and western Iran.
• Iranian-connected Houthi rebels aimed a ballistic missile towards Israel, their first attack since April. It also threatened to target "enemy ships" in the Red Sea again.

Iran's state news agency said at least 15 people were injured. And people in Israel had to shelter underground, as well as hospital operations. Aid into Gaza was halted by Israel as a result as well.

Tehran said on 8 June that it was ending military operations against Israel, and threatened "more severe and crushing measures than before" if further "aggression and hostile actions" in Lebanon continue.

Netanyahu said attacks on Iran would stop "for now" with a warning of "force" if there was another Iranian strike. But he insisted that Israel's war against Hezbollah is "not over."

"Both sides, Israel and Iran, are looking to do an immediate ceasefire! Final negotiations on 'peace' are proceeding, subject to ignorance or stupidity getting in its way," US president Donald Trump said in a 8 June social media post.

Beyond the paywall, the piece details further at the role of Lebanon. It also tackles the importance of Tehran's strikes and the status of an Iran-US deal.