Just in: Iran minister rejects ceasefire claim, accuses Israel of starting war

DDM News

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi announced that no formal ceasefire agreement currently exists between Iran and Israel, despite reports suggesting otherwise.

Speaking late Monday night, Araghchi stated that Iran would halt its military response only if Israel ceased its attacks on Iranian territory by 4 a.m. local time.

“As Iran has repeatedly made clear: Israel launched war on Iran, not the other way around,” Araghchi said in a statement posted on X, formerly Twitter.

He emphasized that, “As of now, there is NO ‘agreement’ on any ceasefire or cessation of military operations.”

Diaspora Digital Media (DDM) reports that tensions between the two countries have reached a critical point following a series of Israeli airstrikes on Tehran earlier this week, which prompted retaliatory missile attacks from Iran.

Araghchi clarified that Iran does not intend to prolong the conflict if Israel halts what he called its “illegal aggression” against Iranian territory by the stated deadline.

“If Israel stops its illegal aggression against Iran no later than 4 a.m. Tehran time, we have no intention to continue our response afterwards,” he said.

As of now, it is past 4:30 a.m. in Tehran, but Iranian officials say a final decision regarding the cessation of military operations is still pending.

“The final decision on the cessation of our military operations will be made later,” Araghchi added, leaving the status of de-escalation efforts uncertain.

This statement appears to contradict earlier claims from a senior White House official who told CNN that both Israel and Iran had agreed to a conditional ceasefire.

According to the US official, Israel consented to halt its military operations if Iran ceased launching attacks—a condition they believed Tehran had accepted.

However, Iran’s latest position suggests that the two sides may not be on the same page regarding the scope or terms of the alleged agreement.

International observers fear that miscommunication or mistrust could undermine fragile efforts to de-escalate what has quickly become one of the most dangerous flare-ups in the region in recent years.

As diplomatic backchannels remain active, world leaders are urging restraint and clarity to avoid a wider regional war.

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