In a dramatic escalation of the ongoing conflict, Iran launched a large-scale overnight missile attack on Israel just hours after U.S. President Donald Trump publicly declared a ceasefire between the two countries. The assault killed at least four civilians and wounded several others in southern Israel, according to Israeli emergency services.
The barrage began shortly after midnight local time, with multiple waves of ballistic missiles and drone strikes targeting major cities, including Beersheba. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) activated its air defense systems across southern and central regions. Although dozens of projectiles were intercepted by the Iron Dome, several missiles struck residential areas. One building in Beersheba suffered a direct hit, resulting in the deaths of four people, including a child. Emergency teams rescued eight others, many of whom were hospitalized with shrapnel injuries and smoke inhalation.
The Israeli military confirmed that the attack followed earlier missile strikes by Iran on U.S. bases in Qatar, launched in retaliation for American airstrikes over the weekend that targeted Iranian nuclear facilities in Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan. These developments marked the most direct confrontation between the United States and Iran in years and raised fears of a broader regional war.
President Trump had announced a “complete and total ceasefire”, emphasizing that Iran had agreed to halt its attacks immediately, with Israel to follow 12 hours later. However, Iran’s Foreign Ministry challenged that characterization, stating that it would only cease hostilities once Israeli “aggression” fully stopped. Iran’s state-run media later claimed that the ceasefire had been “imposed on the enemy” by Monday morning, although Israeli air raid sirens continued to sound into daylight hours.
In the hours following the missile attacks, Israeli rescue teams, firefighters, and military engineers worked through the rubble of affected neighborhoods. In addition to the fatalities in Beersheba, local authorities reported several fires and significant structural damage to homes, vehicles, and public infrastructure. Residents across the south of the country were urged to remain in bomb shelters as the IDF assessed the risk of further strikes.
