Iran Missiles Hit Israel; Trump Tells Netanyahu: Don't Retaliate
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- Iran launched ballistic missiles at northern Israel on Sunday, with the IRGC identifying the Ramat David Airbase as a target and warning of "devastating attacks" if Israel continued its strikes on Lebanon.
- President Trump, who had been briefed on the attack, told Axios he would call Netanyahu to urge restraint: "Each of them had their fun. Israel had its strike, and Iran had its strike. We don't need another one."
- Iranian retaliation followed Israeli strikes on Beirut earlier that day, which Lebanon's Health Ministry said killed 2 and injured 20; the ministry also reported 3,600+ killed and 11,000+ injured since March 2.
- The Israel-Lebanon ceasefire was reached days earlier in US-hosted talks, though Hezbollah rejected the deal; Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi posted an image of Iranian and Lebanese flags side by side on X.
- Trump had previously called Netanyahu "f—ing crazy" during a heated phone call about Lebanon strikes, and told Fox News Sunday he was "not happy" about the Beirut attacks.
- Israeli officials reacted with force — National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir wrote "Tonight Tehran must burn!" on X, while opposition leader Naftali Bennett called the moment "a moment of truth" demanding Israel "act with strength and effectiveness."
- An administration official confirmed Trump and Netanyahu spoke after Iran's missile launch, though the article cuts off before detailing the outcome of the call.
Why it matters: A US-brokered Israel-Lebanon ceasefire barely days old is already buckling under an Iran-Israel missile exchange, forcing Trump into the awkward position of publicly restraining Netanyahu while Israeli hardliners demand escalation — turning a diplomatic achievement into a live regional test within the week.
