The conflict between Israel and Iran escalated again after the Israeli army launched air strikes on Beirut yesterday, and the Islamic Republic responded with massive missile attacks. US President Donald Trump has called on Israel to exercise restraint, but the Israeli army has attacked Iran and has vowed to continue its operations in "all of Lebanon".
The sharp escalation of tensions in the Middle East is a leading topic in the Western press, writes BTA.
Great Britain
Iran fired salvos of missiles at Israel last night, the most serious test of the ceasefire announced nearly two months ago, writes the "Financial Times".
Just hours before the massive Iranian attack began, Israel struck Beirut, indicating that the target was the Iranian-backed Shiite group "Hezbollah", the British publication notes.
Iran had not attacked Israel since April, when a ceasefire was announced. The latest development further complicates efforts to extend the fragile truce between Washington and Tehran, commented the "Financial Times".
Air raid sirens were sounded in northern Israel due to the Iranian strikes, but the Israeli army said it had intercepted all the missiles, and emergency services said they had received no reports of injuries, the publication continues.
US President Donald Trump, who is trying to conclude a deal to extend the ceasefire and open the Strait of Hormuz, urged the Islamic Republic not to take actions that would escalate tensions further.
"You fired your missiles, that's enough. "Get back to the negotiating table," the American leader said in an interview with Fox News.
He added that he was "not happy" with the Israeli attack on Beirut. Trump urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to retaliate against Iran.
However, far-right members of Netanyahu's cabinet insisted that Israel respond with force. "Tehran must burn tonight," wrote former Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir on social media, according to the Financial Times.
USA
V. "New York Times" takes a closer look at the Israeli attacks on Beirut.
During negotiations with the United States to end the war, the Islamic Republic insisted that the Israeli army stop its strikes against "Hezbollah". The Iranian-backed group, which has both armed fighters and political influence, has long overshadowed the Lebanese government, the American publication notes.
President Trump has tried to limit Israeli attacks on Lebanon, and Beirut in particular, as part of his efforts to end the war with Iran. Last week, Trump and Netanyahu had a tense phone call, after which the American president repeatedly stated that he resorted to expletives to express his disappointment with Israel's military campaign in Lebanon. "I was a little embarrassed by their constant fighting with Lebanon," Trump said in an interview with the New York Post.
The American president said in an interview with NBC News that he would prefer Lebanon to "live better." "I would like to see a more surgically precise attack on Hezbollah. I think it should be more surgical," Trump added in the interview, which was recorded on Friday, the New York Times explains.
The long-standing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah escalated after the United States and Israeli forces began bombing Iran in late February, the publication recalls. In response, Hezbollah attacked Israel, and the Israeli army launched a large-scale ground offensive in Lebanon. Since then, more than 3,600 people have been killed in Lebanon and more than 1 million have been forced to flee their homes, according to Lebanese authorities.
Military analysts say that yesterday's attack on Beirut is unlikely to deter or persuade "Hezbollah" to compromise. The war appears to have mobilized the group, which claims that the Israeli attacks prove that Lebanon's defense can only be entrusted to its armed fighters, the "New York Times" concludes.
France
The ceasefire announced on April 8 ended heavy fighting between Iran and its adversaries - Israel and the United States, Le Monde reported. But efforts to finally settle the conflict have repeatedly hit a dead end, and last night's attacks undoubtedly dash hopes for a lasting peace, 100 days after the war began, the French daily added.
There have been signs in recent days that diplomatic efforts are continuing. Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi arrived in Tehran on Saturday, saying he was carrying a "special letter" from Pakistan's army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, as well as a message from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Field Marshal Asim Munir played a key role in mediating between Iran and the United States in the initial phase of direct talks in Islamabad.
Mohsen Rezaei, a military adviser to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, told CNN in an interview that the talks with the United States "are at a dead end and that Trump must get out of this situation", calling for the unfreezing of Iranian assets worth about $24 billion. But Trump has said he will not unfreeze Iranian assets until an initial agreement is reached with Tehran. Trump said on NBC's "If they behave well, if they do their job properly, we will start negotiations."