Iran's FM Araghchi says no ceasefire agreed

Express Tribune

5 hours ago

Missiles launched from Iran towards Israel are seen from Hebron, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, amid the Iran-Israel conflict, June 24, 2025. Photo:REUTERS
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Despite US President Donald Trump's announcement of a ceasefire between Israel and Iran, both Israeli and Iranian officials have yet to confirm any formal agreement.
Despite an Iranian official confirming that Tehran had agreed to a ceasefire, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has denied that any formal truce has been agreed.
Speaking to local media, he said Tehran would halt its attacks only if Israel ends its 'illegal aggression' by 4 a.m. local time (00:30 GMT).
As of now, Israel has not publicly commented on the reported ceasefire.
While Trump called for an end to the '12-day war,' Iranian officials have insisted that no formal agreement has been reached, leaving the situation uncertain and volatile.
There have been no reported Israeli attacks on Iran since that time.
"The final decision on the cessation of our military operations will be made later," Araqchi added 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
These events follow despite US President Donald Trump having announced on June 23 a complete ceasefire between Israel and Iran, potentially ending the 12-day war that saw millions flee Tehran and prompted fears of further escalation in the war-torn region.
Israel, joined by the United States on the weekend, has carried out attacks on Iran's nuclear facilities, after alleging Tehran was getting close to obtaining a nuclear weapon.
"On the assumption that everything works as it should, which it will, I would like to congratulate both Countries, Israel and Iran, on having the Stamina, Courage, and Intelligence to end, what should be called, 'THE 12 DAY WAR'," Trump wrote on his Truth Social site.
Israeli authorities report missile strikes on Beersheba
An escalation followed US President Donald Trump's 'ceasefire' announcement as the southern Israeli city of Beersheba also reported suffering from Iranian missile attacks, with reports of casualties adding to the ongoing tensions as reported by Quds news network.
At least eight people have been killed in the southern Israeli city of Beersheba as Iran continues to fire waves of missiles into the country.
Breaking | Settler platforms report that the death toll from the iranian missile strike in Beersheba has risen to 8. pic.twitter.com/Lf3jAgaACD — Quds News Network (@QudsNen) June 24, 2025
The Israeli military said in its fifth alert that two volleys of missiles were launched from Iran towards Israel in the early hours of Tuesday.
Witnesses later heard explosions near Tel Aviv and Beersheba in central Israel.
Israeli media said a building had been struck and three people were killed in the missile strike on Beersheba.
לפני זמן קצר, הופעלו התרעות במספר מרחבים בצפון הארץ בעקבות גילוי טילים ששוגרו מאיראן לשטח מדינת ישראל.
הציבור מתבקש להישמע להנחיות פיקוד העורף.
בשעה זו חיל האוויר פועל ליירוט ולתקיפה בכל מקום בו יידרש להסרת האיום.
ההגנה לא הרמטית, ועל כן יש להמשיך ולהישמע להנחיות פיקוד העורף — צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) June 24, 2025
Trump brokers a ceasefire
Trump brokered a ceasefire between Israel and Iran through talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday while his team, including Vice President JD Vance, held talks with Tehran, a senior White House official said.
The official, providing details of the ceasefire on condition of anonymity, said Israel agreed to it so long as Iran does not launch fresh attacks.
Iran signaled that no further attacks would take place, the official said.
Trump appeared to suggest that Israel and Iran would have some time to complete any missions that are underway, at which point the ceasefire would begin in a staged process.
Iran denies ever having a nuclear weapons program but Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has said that if it wanted to, world leaders "wouldn't be able to stop us".
Official says Trump called for talks with Israel and Iran soon after the US attacks.
"He directed his team on Saturday night: 'Let's get on the phone .. with the Iranians,'" the official said. "'Get me Bibi. We're going to make peace,'" the official said, quoting Trump.
Trump's team had negotiated with Iran on five different occasions in the weeks leading up to the conflict but the talks broke down when Iran would not back away from its demand that it continue enriching uranium.
Israel, which is not a party to the international Non-Proliferation Treaty, is the only country in the Middle East believed to have nuclear weapons.
Israel does not deny or confirm that.
Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani secured Tehran's agreement during a call with Iranian officials, an official briefed on the negotiations told Reuters on Tuesday.
Following Trump's ceasefire announcement, Qatar Airways resumed flights after its airspace reopened.
'Our priority is getting passengers home or to their destinations safely,' the airline said in an X post warning of significant delays and advising travelers to check its website for updates.
Qatar Airways confirms reinstatement of flights as airspace reopens in the State of Qatar.
Our focus at this time is to help our passengers return home or reach their onward journey safely and smoothly.
We've deployed extra ground staff at Hamad International Airport to support… — Qatar Airways (@qatarairways) June 23, 2025
US Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and US special envoy Steve Witkoff were in direct and indirect contact with the Iranians, a White House official said.
Neither Iran's UN mission nor the Israeli embassy in Washington responded to separate requests for comment from Reuters.
Hours earlier, three Israeli officials had signaled Israel was looking to wrap up its assault in Iran soon and had passed the message on to the United States.
Netanyahu had told government ministers whose discussions ended early on Tuesday not to speak publicly, Israel's Channel 12 television reported.
"I'd like to thank the Highly Respected Emir of Qatar for all that he has done in seeking Peace for the Region. Regarding the attack today at the American Base in Qatar, I am pleased to report that, in addition to no Americans being killed or wounded, very importantly, there have… pic.twitter.com/HISz9yFNNr — The White House (@WhiteHouse) June 23, 2025
Markets reacted favorably to the news.
S&P 500 futures rose 0.4% late on Monday, suggesting traders expect the US stock market to open with gains on Tuesday.
US crude futures fell in early Asian trading hours on Tuesday to their lowest level in more than a week after Trump said a ceasefire had been agreed, relieving worries of supply disruption in the region.
End to the fighting?
There did not appear to be calm yet in the region.
The Israeli military issued two evacuation warnings in less than two hours to residents of areas in the Iranian capital Tehran, one late on June 23 and one early on June 24.
Israeli Army radio reported early on Tuesday that alarms were activated in the southern Golan Heights area due to fears of hostile aircraft intrusion.
Earlier on Monday, Trump said he would encourage Israel to proceed towards peace after dismissing Iran's attack on an American air base that caused no injuries and thanking Tehran for the early notice of the strikes.
He said Iran fired 14 missiles at the US air base, calling it "a very weak response, which we expected, and have very effectively countered."
Iran's handling of the attack recalled earlier clashes with the United States and Israel, with Tehran seeking a balance between saving face with a military response but without provoking a cycle of escalation it can't afford.
Tehran appears to have achieved that goal.
Iran's attack came after US bombers dropped 30,000-pound bunker-buster bombs on Iranian underground nuclear facilities at the weekend, joining Israel's air war.
Trump had announced on June 19 that he would make a decision on American use of force "within two weeks," but by afternoon of June 20 he had ordered the United States to bomb the Iranian facilities.
Trump's unprecedented decision to bomb Iran's nuclear sites early on Sunday marked a step that he had long vowed to avoid - to intervene militarily in a major foreign war.
Moving to join U.S. ally Israel in military strikes stirred up concern within his right-leaning "Make America Great Again" political base, which has clung to his promises to avoid foreign entanglements.
Much of Tehran's population of 10 million has fled after days of bombing.
The Trump administration maintains that its aim was solely to destroy Iran's nuclear program, not to open a wider war.
However, Israel had made clear that its strikes on Evin prison - a notorious jail for housing political prisoners - and other targets in Tehran were intended to hit the Iranian ruling apparatus broadly, and its ability to sustain power.
"Iran was very close to having a nuclear weapon," Vice President JD Vance said in an interview on Fox News' "Special Report with Bret Baier."
"Now Iran is incapable of building a nuclear weapon with the equipment they have because we destroyed it," Vance said.
Trump has cited intelligence reports that Iran was close to building a nuclear weaopon, without elaborating.
"Iran has officially responded to our Obliteration of their Nuclear Facilities with a very weak response, which we expected, and have very effectively countered. There have been 14 missiles fired — 13 were knocked down, and 1 was 'set free,' because it was headed in a… pic.twitter.com/NLlfS3MSK2 — The White House (@WhiteHouse) June 23, 2025
However, US intelligence agencies said earlier this year they assessed that Iran was not building a nuclear weapon, and a source with access to US intelligence reports told Reuters last week that that assessment hadn't changed.
But in a social media post on June 22, Trump spoke of toppling the hardline clerical rulers who have been Washington's principal foes in the Middle East since Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Iran's succession plans?
The clock's ticking for senior clerics seeking a successor to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
A three-man committee from a top clerical body, appointed by Khamenei himself two years ago to identify his replacement, has accelerated its planning in recent days since Israel attacked Iran and threatened to assassinate the veteran leader, five insiders with knowledge of the discussions told Reuters.
Khamenei, 86, is being regularly briefed on the talks, according to the Iranian sources who requested anonymity to discuss highly sensitive matters.
He has gone into hiding with his family and is being guarded by the Vali-ye Amr special forces unit of the Revolutionary Guards, a top security official said.
The ruling establishment will immediately seek to name a successor to Khamenei if he is killed, to signal stability and continuity, according to the sources who acknowledged that predicting Iran's subsequent political trajectory was difficult.
A new leader will still be chosen for his devotion to the revolutionary precepts of the Islamic Republic's late founder Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, according to one insider, who is close to Khamenei's office and privy to succession discussions.
At the same time, the top echelon of power is also considering which candidate might present a more moderate face to ward off foreign attacks and internal revolts, the person said.
Two frontrunners have emerged in the succession discussions, the five insiders said: Khamenei's 56-year-old son Mojtaba, long seen as a continuity choice, and a new contender, Hassan Khomeini, grandson of the father of the Islamic revolution.
Khomeini, a close ally of the reformist faction that favours the easing of social and political restrictions, nonetheless commands respect among senior clerics and the Revolutionary Guards because of his lineage, the sources added.
Khomeini has come into the frame as a serious candidate this month amid the conflict with Israel and America because he could represent a more conciliatory choice internationally and domestically than Mojtaba Khamenei, the five people said.
By contrast, Khamenei hews closely to his father's hardline policies, according to the insiders who cautioned that nothing had been determined, candidates could change and the supreme leader would have the final say.
However, with the military conflict continuing, it remains unclear whether any new leader could be chosen easily or installed securely or if he could assume the level of authority enjoyed by Khamenei, they added.
Previously, Trump had stated in social media post last week "We know exactly where the so-called 'Supreme Leader' is hiding. He is an easy target."
US democrats to check Trump's executive powers
Three Democratic lawmakers from the US House of Representatives introduced a war powers resolution on Monday to check President Donald Trump's use of military force against Iran after US strikes on Tehran's nuclear sites over the weekend.
Trump's Republican Party holds a majority in both the House of Representatives and the Senate and it is unlikely any resolution restricting Trump's actions could pass both chambers.
Iran targeted a US base in Qatar on Monday in retaliation.
The Israel-Iran war, which began on June 13 when Israel attacked its regional rival, further raised tensions in a region already on edge since the start of Israel's genocide in Gaza in October 2023.
The joint statement issued late on Monday by Democratic US Representatives Jim Himes, Gregory Meeks and Adam Smith came hours after Trump claimed on social media Israel and Iran had agreed to a ceasefire.
"President Trump must not be allowed to start a war with Iran, or any country, without Congressional approval," the lawmakers said, adding that Trump ordered the strikes "without meaningful consultation or Congressional authorization."
Some Democratic and Republican lawmakers had called on Congress to rein in Trump's use of military force in Iran and prevent US involvement in the conflict.
Many Democratic US lawmakers said Trump's actions were unconstitutional and that it was Congress that had the power to declare war on foreign countries.
"No thoughtful deliberation nor careful planning occurred here - and serious actions demand serious debate, not presidential impulse," they added.
Iran, which says its nuclear program is peaceful, is a party to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty while Israel is not.