New York: Confusion and skepticism surrounded a surprise ceasefire announcement, as a senior Iranian official told CNN that Tehran had not received any formal proposal from the United States and saw no reason to halt hostilities with Israel or Washington.
“At this very moment, the enemy is committing aggression against Iran, and Iran is on the verge of intensifying its retaliatory strikes, with no ear to listen to the lies of its enemies,” the official was quoted as saying. He added that remarks from US and Israeli leaders would be seen as a “deception” intended to justify further attacks on Iran.
Meanwhile Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says no “agreement” on ceasefire between Israel and Iran as per media reports.
The conflicting narratives raised questions about the implementation and durability of any potential ceasefire. As of Monday night, neither Israeli nor Iranian officials had publicly confirmed any agreement.
The White House and the Pentagon had also not issued formal statements, and it remained unclear whether the reported deal had been communicated through diplomatic channels, or whether either side intended to follow the terms.
US President Donald Trump announced Monday evening that Israel and Iran have reached a formal agreement to implement a complete and total ceasefire, marking what he called the end of the “12-Day War.”
In a post on his Truth Social platform Monday, Trump congratulated both nations and revealed that the ceasefire will begin in approximately six hours, following the completion of each side’s ongoing military operations. The ceasefire will initially last 12 hours, during which the opposing side will maintain a posture of “peace and respect.”
According to Trump, Iran will initiate the ceasefire, followed by Israel 12 hours later, culminating in an official declaration of the war’s end at the 24-hour mark.
“On the assumption that everything works as it should, which it will,” Trump wrote, “I would like to congratulate both countries… on having the stamina, courage, and intelligence to end what should be called ‘THE 12 DAY WAR.'”
Calling the agreement a breakthrough that “could have saved the Middle East from years of destruction,” Trump ended his announcement with a sweeping message of unity: “God bless Israel, God bless Iran, God bless the Middle East, God bless the United States of America, and GOD BLESS THE WORLD!”
(IANS)
