Third war or just another rodeo? How Israel and Iran ended up here again

Israel and Iran exchanged direct attacks on Sunday night, shattering a cease-fire that had held since April 8. Late Sunday, Iran launched missiles at Israel in what it said was retaliation for an Israeli strike on Hezbollah in Beirut. Israel responded with overnight attacks on targets in western and central Iran, while air raid sirens sounded across Israel again on Monday morning after a second Iranian missile barrage. By Monday afternoon, the fighting had ended, with both sides warning that any further attack would trigger retaliation, yet again. Although Israel and Iran have waged a shadow war through proxies, cyberattacks and covert operations for decades, the conflict entered a new phase in 2024 when the two countries attacked each other directly for the first time. Here's a timeline of the key events that led to the latest escalation.