Iran Fires Ballistic Missiles at Israel as Trump Ceasefire Bid Stalls Over Compensation Demands
With over 300 wounded in fresh strikes on Arad and Tel Aviv, Washington and Tehran remain deadlocked on talks while Hezbollah opens a second front from Lebanon and the conflict threatens to engulf the wider Middle East
The Iran-Israel conflict escalated sharply on Sunday as Iran launched at least four ballistic missiles at Israeli cities, wounding more than 300 people, even as the Trump administration was reported to be quietly pursuing ceasefire negotiations through back-channel intermediaries.
Israeli cities Arad and Dimona — home to Israel’s major nuclear facility — bore the brunt of the overnight and morning strikes, with around 2,700 residents forced to evacuate, approximately 1,000 of them from Arad and Dimona alone. A ballistic missile carrying a cluster bomb warhead struck Tel Aviv, injuring 15 people. Israeli air defences intercepted several incoming missiles, with intercepted debris causing additional casualties on the ground. In total, 4,564 people have been hospitalised since the conflict began, according to Israel’s Health Ministry.
Trump Seeks Ceasefire, Iran Sets Conditions
According to a report by Axios, the Trump administration — with advisers Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff involved — has been seeking a ceasefire with Iran. However, Tehran has set firm preconditions: a halt to hostilities, compensation for war damages, and a binding guarantee that it will not face future attacks. Washington has so far rejected the compensation demand, and direct talks between the two sides remain suspended. Egypt, Qatar, and Britain are currently serving as intermediaries.
The United States has been pressing Iran to suspend its missile programme, halt uranium enrichment, shut down nuclear sites, and cut off funding to Hezbollah and Hamas.
The diplomatic impasse comes after Trump publicly threatened to strike Iran’s power plants — beginning with the largest — if the Strait of Hormuz was not fully reopened within 48 hours. Iran responded by warning it would target all American and Israeli-linked energy infrastructure across the region if its power plants were hit.
America Claims Iranian Missile Factory Destroyed
US Central Command claimed it had destroyed an Iranian missile assembly facility earlier this month — the Kuh-e Barjamali Missile Assembly Facility, located in the hills southeast of Tehran — where short and medium-range ballistic missiles were being produced. Satellite imagery showing before-and-after damage was released alongside the announcement.
Iran, for its part, claimed its air defence systems targeted an F-15 fighter jet near the Strait of Hormuz, saying the aircraft had entered Iranian airspace. Neither the US nor Israel offered any official response to this claim.
Lebanon Front Widens
On Israel’s northern border, Hezbollah claimed responsibility for a rocket strike in Misgav that killed one Israeli civilian after a projectile hit a vehicle. Israel’s IDF said it subsequently killed nine Hezbollah fighters in a ground and air operation in southern Lebanon. Separately, IDF forces from the 36th Division raided Hezbollah-used buildings, killing more than 10 fighters and seizing weapons. Israel also warned it may strike the Qasmiye Bridge in southern Lebanon to cut off militant supply routes.
In Lebanon, the reported death toll has surpassed 1,000 since the conflict began, including more than 100 children.
Voices From the International Community
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian spoke by phone with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday, urging BRICS nations to play an independent role in halting the attacks on Iran. He also called for Middle Eastern countries to build a new collective regional security framework to reduce external interference.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, speaking from Arad, called on the world’s nations to join the fight against Iran, describing Tehran as a global threat. “This is not just Israel’s or America’s security — it is the entire world’s,” he said.
Pope Leo condemned the conflict as a disgrace to humanity, expressing deep anguish over the suffering of civilians and calling on all parties to pursue peace.
The GCC rejected Iranian allegations that Gulf states had facilitated military operations against Tehran, with Secretary General Jasim Mohammed Albudaiwi sharply accusing Iran of openly targeting Gulf infrastructure and energy facilities.
Bahrain’s defence forces reported intercepting 145 missiles and 246 drones since the conflict began. An explosion was also reported near a vessel off the coast of Sharjah in the UAE, approximately 20 km offshore, with authorities investigating.
In Baghdad, an American diplomatic and logistics centre near the international airport came under eight separate rocket and drone attacks overnight, with a rocket launcher later recovered nearby.
The situation remains highly volatile, with no ceasefire in sight and both sides threatening further escalation.
