Tehran, Iran – June 24: Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi on Monday firmly denied any formal ceasefire agreement with Israel, contradicting an earlier announcement by U.S. President Donald Trump about a mutual truce. Araghchi stated that Iran would only halt military operations if Israeli aggression ceased by 4 am Tehran time (6:00 am IST).
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Araghchi clarified that Iran has no current agreement to end hostilities but is open to cessation if Israel halts its attacks.
“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,” he wrote.
“However, provided that the Israeli regime stops its illegal aggression against the Iranian people no later than 4 am Tehran time, we have no intention to continue our response afterwards.”
Trump’s Ceasefire Claim Met with Uncertainty
Earlier in the day, President Trump announced a “complete and total ceasefire” between Israel and Iran, set to begin in approximately six hours. Posting on Truth Social, he detailed a phased 24-hour ceasefire plan, with Iran stopping hostilities first, followed by Israel, after which the “12-Day War” would be declared over.
“CONGRATULATIONS TO EVERYONE! It has been fully agreed by and between Israel and Iran… for 12 hours, at which point the War will be considered ENDED!” Trump said.
Despite Trump’s optimism, Araghchi’s statement suggests that Iran sees no such binding agreement in place and considers Israel responsible for initiating the conflict.
Iran Praises Armed Forces Amid Ongoing Tensions
In a separate message, the Iranian Foreign Minister praised the armed forces for their continued strikes up to the 4 am deadline.
“The military operations of our powerful Armed Forces to punish Israel for its aggression continued until the very last minute, at 4 am,” Araghchi stated.
“Together with all Iranians, I thank our brave Armed Forces… who responded to any attack by the enemy until the very last minute.”
Ceasefire Still Uncertain as Conditions Remain Unmet
While Trump portrayed the situation as diplomatically resolved, Tehran’s tone remains conditional and defensive. Iran insists that any official ceasefire will depend entirely on Israel halting all military actions, leaving the possibility of resumed hostilities on the table.
This divergence in narratives highlights the fragile and volatile nature of the current Middle East crisis, and casts doubt over whether a true, mutual ceasefire has actually been achieved.