Israel strikes Iran despite Trump plea as Middle East crisis threatens to escalate

Latest exchange of attacks threatens to drag Middle East into regional war and comes after US president said ‘I call all the shots’, not Israel’s PM

• Middle East crisis – live updates

Israel launched airstrikes on central and western Iran on Monday in apparent defiance of Donald Trump after he urged restraint over a reprisal attack by Tehran in an escalation that threatens to drag the Middle East back into a regional war.

It was the first exchange of direct strikes between the two enemies since a ceasefire paused the US-Israel war with Iran in April. Iran’s attack came in response to earlier strikes on Beirut by Israel.