Two high-ranking Iranian army personnel were killed in Israeli strikes on Iran on Monday, the Iranian state broadcaster IRIB reported.
Funeral ceremony for Bahman Hosseini and Alireza Abiri will be held later Tuesday, said the outlet, adding that they were killed while on a mission “to defend the country’s skies.”
Tensions escalated on Sunday when Israel bombed the Lebanese capital Beirut despite an ongoing ceasefire, prompting Iran to launch missiles at northern Israel in retaliation, with Israel responding with several waves of airstrikes against Iran.
The escalation continued into Monday, but Iran’s military later said it had halted attacks on Israel while warning of a “crushing” response if Israeli strikes on Lebanon continued.
The region has remained on edge since the US and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran in late February, triggering Iranian retaliation against Israel and other regional countries hosting US assets.
A temporary ceasefire was reached on April 8, but negotiations later stalled amid disputes over its implementation and subsequent regional developments.
READ: Israel to halt attacks on Iran at Trump’s request, to continue offensive in Lebanon, Israeli official says
