Sirens Blare Throughout Israel as Iran and Houthis Fire Barrage of Missiles
JERUSALEM, Israel – Sirens blared early Monday morning in Tel Aviv and throughout central Israel, including Jerusalem, as Iran and one of its proxies, the Houthis in Yemen, fired a number of ballistic missiles.
The fighting is interconnected. Hezbollah's persistent firing of missiles and drones from southern Lebanon into northern Israel prompted the Israeli military to target Hezbollah's stronghold in Beirut. Tehran then claimed it was justified in firing on Israel itself.
President Trump is eager to keep negotiations going and told Fox News, "What I would suggest to Iran: you've shot your missiles, that's enough. Get back to the table and make a deal."
He reportedly spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the phone, asking him not to respond to the Iranian attack, later posting, "Israel and Iran must immediately stop 'shooting.'"
He also told The Financial Times, "The attacks on Israel have not changed my desire to complete the negotiations with Iran...we're gonna make a great deal."
U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee posted on X, "Missile alerts sounded at 6 a.m. in Jerusalem. They were intercepted, thank God! Iran & its proxy agents of evil want to incinerate America and Israel. Mothership of Satan is Tehran.
Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter wrote, "Iran fired 11 ballistic missiles at Israel today. Each one of those missiles can level an entire neighborhood and kill hundreds. No self-respecting country in the world would tolerate such an attack, and neither will Israel."
PHOTO: A man looks at the wreckage of an Iranian missile that landed near the West Bank city of Jericho on Monday, June 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean)
Israel Defense Forces Spokesperson Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin announced that the IDF completed a large-scale strike on Iran's strategic air defense systems.
"A short while ago, the Iranian terrorist regime launched missiles toward the territory of the State of Israel. We were prepared for this. The IDF is strongly prepared in defense and strong in offense. The air defense systems are deployed throughout the country," Defrin said.
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Trump cautioned that if a deal doesn't work, it leaves the U.S. with two options: military action against Iran's remaining nuclear infrastructure or continued economic pressure.
Democratic Senator Mark Warner (D-Virginia) criticized the president on Fox News Sunday, charging, "I unfortunately believe that President Trump's war of choice may go down in his biggest folly because while there has been some incremental progress, we don't have regime change; the new crowd is worse than the prior supreme leader. We know we don't have the enriched uranium, and it will be extraordinarily difficult to get it out."
Last Friday, Trump told NBC News, "It takes years to do these things; these people have been fighting for 47 years... I'm moving very fast. I'm into three months. You know Vietnam lasted 19 years. I'm into my third month."
About The Author
CBN News Middle East Bureau Chief
In a time where the world's attention is riveted on events in the Middle East, CBN viewers have come to appreciate Chris Mitchell's timely reports from this explosive region of the world. Mitchell brings a Biblical and prophetic perspective to these daily news events that shape our world.
Chris first began reporting on the Middle East in the mid-1990s. He repeatedly traveled there to report on the religious and political issues facing Israel and the surrounding Arab states. One of his more significant reports focused on the emigration of persecuted Christians from the Middle East.
In the past, Chris's reporting has been distinguished by award-winning coverage of revival movements and other spiritual issues. In addition to the Brownsville revival in Pensacola, Fla., he also covered an outbreak of revival in Missouri. His report on the "holy laughter" revivals in Toronto and London was named CBN's "Focus Story of the Year" in 1994.
That same year, Chris also earned a "Short Story of the Year" award for his examination of religious coverage in network news. He has also reported on such movements as the Promise Keepers and the annual "Prayer and Fasting" campaign led by the late Campus Crusade founder Dr. Bill Bright.
In addition to his reports for The 700 Club, Chris is also a regular contributor to Christian World News, a weekly 30-minute newscast that airs nationally in multiple markets.
Prior to joining CBN News in 1992, Chris worked for three years as a researcher, producer, and reporter for the Features/Testimonies department of The 700 Club.
A native of the Boston area, Chris earned a B.A. in History at the University of New Hampshire in 1975. In 1987, he graduated with honors from Regent University, earning an M.A. in Communication. While a student at Regent (then CBN University), Chris anchored "Newsight," a student-produced Christian news program.
Chris's goal at CBN News is to provide in his stories the Biblical "understanding of the times" described in I Chronicles 12:32.
