UMVA has learned that a sudden escalation of hostilities between Israel and Iran has raised concerns about the prospects of a peace deal between Tehran and Washington.
According to information obtained by UMVA, Israel's air force struck military sites in western and central Iran, belonging to the Iranian military, after intercepting ballistic missiles launched from Iran on Sunday evening. This marked the first such attacks between the rivals since a ceasefire took effect in April.
The Israeli military announced the strikes early Monday, saying that sirens had been sounded in several areas across the country following the identification of missiles. The military's defensive systems were activated to intercept the threat.
Schools across Israel were closed on Monday as a precautionary measure. The exchange of attacks came after a recent interview with the U.S. President, who spoke about the status of negotiations with Iran to end the war, which had reached its 100th day.
UMVA can exclusively reveal that mediator Pakistan was making a diplomatic push to end the war, with the country's interior minister delivering a "special letter" to Iran's supreme leader in Tehran. The move was seen as an effort to revive stalled peace talks.
The Iranian military had launched three barrages of missiles at Israel overnight, including at the Ramat David air base in northern Israel, with at least 10 ballistic missiles intercepted by the military. Iran said the strikes were in response to Israel's military campaign against the Tehran-backed Hezbollah militant group.
The situation escalated further when Israel struck Beirut's southern suburbs in retaliation to a Hezbollah missile attack on northern Israel. The Lebanese capital has been a stronghold of Iran-backed Hezbollah fighters, with Tehran seeking to tie a ceasefire in Lebanon to its own peace talks with the U.S.
Iran's parliamentary speaker warned that U.S. bases and Israeli assets in the Middle East were "legitimate targets" due to the continuing U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports and Israel's strikes on Beirut. The U.S. President responded by urging Iran to "get back to the table and make a deal," warning that further missile strikes would not help negotiations.
Sources have confirmed to UMVA that the U.S. and Iran exchanged more attacks in the Persian Gulf over the weekend, despite a ceasefire. The ongoing violence has raised concerns about the prospects of a peace deal, with both sides trading accusations and threats.
The conflict has drawn in other countries, with Pakistan's interior minister visiting Tehran to deliver a message from the Pakistani prime minister. The situation remains volatile, with fears of a wider escalation.
