Israel launched fresh strikes on military targets in western and central Iran on Monday, escalating tensions in West Asia despite efforts by US President Donald Trump to prevent further military action and keep diplomatic negotiations on track. 

The Israeli military said it targeted Iranian military infrastructure while Iran's Revolutionary Guards claimed that Israel had used air-launched ballistic missiles in the attacks. The latest hostilities came hours after Iran fired a volley of missiles at Israeli targets in retaliation for Israeli strikes on Beirut.  

US Senator Chris Murphy said Israel humiliated President Trump by launching strikes on Iran despite his call for restraint. “This war has been humiliating for Trump and American power generally. And when Trump announces he is going to call Netanyahu and tell him not to retaliate, and within hours Netanyahu retaliates, the humiliation just compounds,” Murphy wrote on X. 

The renewed violence has cast a shadow over ongoing US-Iran talks aimed at ending the wider conflict that has engulfed the region for months. However, Trump maintained that prospects for a diplomatic breakthrough remained intact. "It’s not going to have any impact on the deal," Trump told the Financial Times. "I call the shots. I call all the shots. He (Netanyahu) doesn’t call the shots." 

According to reports, Trump had urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a phone call on Sunday to refrain from further strikes, arguing that negotiations with Tehran were nearing a critical stage. Axios, citing a US official, reported that Trump told Netanyahu that "we are close to doing something good in terms of a deal." 

Oil prices rise 

Financial markets reacted sharply to the latest escalation, with benchmark Brent crude futures rising more than 3% in early trading on Monday to move back above $96 per barrel. Investors remain concerned about potential disruptions to energy supplies from the region, particularly around the strategically important Strait of Hormuz. 

Israeli Ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter defended the military action, saying Iran had launched 11 ballistic missiles toward Israel. "Everyone has had enough of this maniacal Iranian regime," Leiter wrote on X. "No self-respecting country in the world would tolerate such an attack, and neither will Israel." 

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they had targeted Israel's Ramat David air base near Nazareth. The Israeli military said its air defence systems intercepted incoming missiles. 

Lebanon remains flashpoint 

The latest confrontation follows Israeli strikes on Beirut's southern suburbs on Sunday, marking the first attack in the area since Washington unveiled a Lebanon truce proposal last week. Tehran has repeatedly linked any broader peace agreement with a sustained ceasefire in Lebanon. 

Despite repeated flare-ups, Trump reiterated confidence that a deal could still be reached. "We're very close to a deal, or I'm going to blow the hell out of them," he said in an interview aired on NBC News' "Meet the Press." 

The continued exchanges between Israel, Iran and their regional allies underscore the fragility of ongoing diplomatic efforts and the risks facing global energy markets.