Middle East Stands ‘On The Edge Of The Cliff,’ EU Chief Says

Schools were ordered to return and gatherings were given the green light in safe areas not affected by the Gaza war and Hezbollah bombardments in Israel's north.

"Following a situational assessment, it was determined that as of 00:00 Israel time tonight (Monday), changes will be made to the Home Front Command’s defensive guidelines," the announcement from the IDF said.

Initial warnings had braced the country for several days of possible strikes with many in the country working from home and postponing meetings awaiting new instructions.

On Saturday, Iran launched hundreds of projectiles towards the Jewish state in retaliation for an alleged Israeli airstrike on its consulate compound in Damascus this month.

The strike killed a top IRGC commander, the highest ranking assassination since the US killed Qassem Soleimani in 2020, along with several other IRGC top brass.

Iran's attack was the first time Tehran gave the command to strike Israel from Iranian soil, usually commanding its proxies in the region to act. In the wake of the Iran-backed Hamas attack, Israel has come under fire from Iran's militias in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Yemen as the regime continues its bid to annihilate the Jewish state.

The aerial bombardment was deemed a failure in the West as Israel was joined by its allies the US, UK, France and even Jordan, to intercept the attacks, 99 percent of which was foiled. Multiple projectiles were also launched by proxies alongside the Iranian attack, but there were no deaths. One seven-year-old girl remains in a critical condition after shrapnel injuries in Israel's south.

In Jerusalem, home to the Muslim holy site at the heart of the Israel-Palestine conflict, projectiles threatened even the most treasured Al Quds, with Israeli defense systems protecting the Old City.

No pre-arranged agreement was made with any country prior to Iran's retaliatory attack against Israel, Iran's Foreign Ministry said on Monday.

Regional officials, including Iran's foreign minister, said Tehran had given notice to neighbouring countries days before its attack.

However, ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani cautioned that no pre-arranged deal was made with any country regarding how Tehran would approach its military response to Israel.

Shamsolvaezin expressed support for the attack in an interview with the Tasnim news agency, affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), saying, "Unfortunately, some inside the country have become defenders of the devil, claiming that nothing has happened and that the missiles did not hit at all; they promote and reproduce 99 percent of the Israeli narrative, which is very dangerous."

His remarks coincide with increased pressure from the IRGC on the media and journalists to align with the regime's narrative. On Saturday, the Intelligence Organization of the IRGC urged the Iranian public to report any pro-Israel activities observed online.

Legal action has also been initiated against the Jahan Sanat newspaper and one of its journalists for allegedly "compromising national security" through their coverage of the operation against Israel.

Shamsolvaezin, 66, is a doyen of the Iranian media scene who edited several of Iran's foremost independent newspapers post-revolution, including Kayhan, Jame'eh, Neshat, and Asr-e Azadegan. He is also the spokesperson for the Iranian Committee for the Defense of Freedom of the Press and vice president of the Association of Iranian Journalists. The CPJ International Press Freedom Award winner in 2000, Shamsolvaezin has been to jail many times due to his journalism.

On the military front, Iran's retaliation against Israel involved over 350 drone and missile launches Saturday night, following an airstrike on April 1 that targeted the Iranian consulate in Damascus and killed several IRGC members, including two high-ranking commanders.

Despite the significant number of projectiles being intercepted by Israeli defenses and their allies, the Iranian regime has declared the operation a “success.” Iran's proxies in Iraq and Yemen also participated in the coordinated attack.

The strike by more than 300 missiles and drones from Iran caused only modest damage in Israel as most were shot down by its Iron Dome defence system and with help from the US, Britain, France and Jordan. It followed a suspected Israeli airstrike on Iran's embassy compound in Syria on April 1.

"I think they're perfectly justified to think they should respond because they have been attacked, but we are urging them as friends to think with head as well as heart, to be smart as well as tough," Cameron told BBC TV.

He said he was urging Israel not to escalate the tensions in the Middle East.

"In many ways this has been a double defeat for Iran. The attack was an almost total failure, and they revealed to the world that they are the malign influence in the region prepared to do this. So our hope is that there won't be a retaliatory response," he told Sky News.

Cameron said Britain would also work with allies to look at imposing more sanctions on Iran, and it urged Israel to return its focus on agreeing a ceasefire with Iran-backed Hamas in the Gaza war.

(Reporting by Reuters)

Israel's military announced that life would resume as normal on Monday, in the wake of the Iranian missile and drone onslaught.

Schools were ordered to return and gatherings were given the green light in safe areas not affected by the Gaza war and Hezbollah bombardments in Israel's north.

"Following a situational assessment, it was determined that as of 00:00 Israel time tonight (Monday), changes will be made to the Home Front Command’s defensive guidelines," the announcement from the IDF said.

Initial warnings had braced the country for several days of possible strikes with many in the country working from home and postponing meetings ready for new instructions.