Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has denied any formal agreement on a ceasefire with Israel, saying Tehran’s military operations continued until 4am local time (00:30 GMT) and could resume if Israel does not end its aggression.
In a series of statements on X (formerly Twitter), Araghchi said Iran had no intention to continue its attacks beyond 4am, provided Israel halts its operations.
“As of now, there is NO agreement on any ceasefire or cessation of military operations,” he posted.
“However, provided that the Israeli regime stops its illegal aggression against the Iranian people no later than 4am Tehran time, we have no intention to continue our response afterwards. The final decision… will be made later.”
In a follow-up message, he confirmed the operations concluded at 4am and praised Iran’s armed forces for their resilience.
“The military operations of our powerful Armed Forces to punish Israel for its aggression continued until the very last minute,” Araghchi wrote. “They remain ready to defend our dear country until their last drop of blood.”
This comes just hours after US President Donald Trump declared that both Israel and Iran had agreed to a ceasefire to end what he described as the “12-day war.”
However, neither side has confirmed such an agreement.
US foreign policy analyst and former Pentagon official Adam Clements expressed skepticism over Trump’s announcement, citing ongoing Israeli airstrikes on Tehran and the absence of public commitments from either party.
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“Both the Israelis and the Iranians have not formally agreed in public to this agreement,” Clements said from Washington, DC.
“Trust is very low. And if there is a diplomatic opening, how will the Trump administration enforce a ceasefire?”
Clements also raised concerns that the Iranian nuclear programme could become more clandestine in the aftermath of the conflict, especially if the US has indeed set it back by several months through military strikes.
Meanwhile, Israel has remained silent. There has been no official response from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu or his cabinet, and Israeli media report a government-imposed gag order preventing ministers from commenting on the ceasefire.
Notably, before Trump’s statement, Israeli officials had reportedly been discussing wrapping up operations by the end of the week under pressure from Washington.
Any announcement, if forthcoming, is expected to come directly from Netanyahu.
In a related development, the Balad military base in Iraq’s Salahuddin province–formerly one of the largest US military installations in the country–came under attack late Monday, according to Kurdistan24 and Iran’s Tasnim news agency.
Two explosions were reportedly heard, but there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage.
The situation remains fluid as the region braces for either a cooling of hostilities or a potential resurgence in violence should the fragile stand-down collapse.