Iran denies ceasefire with Israel but signals it will stop strikes if Israeli attacks end

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said that there is no formal agreement on a ceasefire with Israel, despite recent claims by the United States that a truce had been reached.

"As of now, there is no 'agreement' on any ceasefire or cessation of military operations," Araghchi said in a post on X.

As Iran has repeatedly made clear: Israel launched war on Iran, not the other way around.

As of now, there is NO "agreement" on any ceasefire or cessation of military operations. However, provided that the Israeli regime stops its illegal aggression against the Iranian people no…

— Seyed Abbas Araghchi (@araghchi) June 24, 2025

He added that Iran’s military actions were in response to Israeli aggression, not a war initiated by Tehran.

His comments came hours after US President Donald Trump announced that both Israel and Iran had agreed to a "complete and total" ceasefire following nearly two weeks of escalating conflict.

Araghchi emphasised that Iran would halt its military response if Israel ceased its attacks by 4:00 a.m. Tehran time (0030 GMT) on Tuesday.

"If the Israeli regime stops its illegal aggression against the Iranian people... we have no intention to continue our response afterwards," he said.

Still, he cautioned that the "final decision on the cessation of our military operations will be made later."

In a follow-up post, Araghchi praised Iranian forces for continuing operations “until the very last minute” and said they remain prepared to defend the country “until their last drop of blood.”

The military operations of our powerful Armed Forces to punish Israel for its aggression continued until the very last minute, at 4am.

Together with all Iranians, I thank our brave Armed Forces who remain ready to defend our dear country until their last drop of blood, and who…

— Seyed Abbas Araghchi (@araghchi) June 24, 2025

The remarks underscore uncertainty over whether the ceasefire announced by the US is fully in effect — or agreed to by all sides.

As ceasefire talks swirl, Israel claimed Iran launched new missiles, while Iranian media reported Israel assassinated nuclear scientist Mohammad Reza Siddiqi.

12 days of escalating conflict

Hostilities between Israel and Iran erupted on June 13 when Israel launched airstrikes on nuclear, military sites and civilians across Iran.

The conflict escalated further when US forces joined the Israeli aggression over the weekend, targeting three major Iranian nuclear sites.

On Monday, Iran launched ballistic missiles at the US military’s Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar in retaliation, prompting renewed fears of a broader regional conflict.

While US and Israeli leaders have framed the latest ceasefire as a turning point, Iranian officials appear to be taking a more cautious stance, demanding guarantees that Israeli strikes will cease before standing down their own forces.

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Source: TRT