Iran-Israel ceasefire explained; Iran FM denies truce agreement

TEHRAN/WASHINGTON: As per United States (US) President Donald Trump’s post, the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Iran would begin in phases.

Phased Approach

The truce will be approximately six hours from the announcement, allowing both sides to wind down their ongoing military operations.

Read more: Trump announces Iran and Israel have agreed to a ceasefire

It will last for 12 hours, during which both parties are expected to refrain from any military actions.

Iran will officially initiate the ceasefire, signalling the start of the 12-hour period. Meanwhile, Israel will begin its own cease4fire after the 12-hour mark.

The transition marks  a move towards a more permanent cassation of hostilities.

Ceasefire conditions

During the ceasefire, both sides are expected to remain peaceful and respectful. This means no military engagements, provocations, or hostile actions should occur.

Although the specifics are not detailed in the announcement, it is likely that there will be some form of monitoring or verification to ensure compliance with the ceasefire terms.

After the 24-hour mark, the conflict will be officially declared over, concluding what Trump christened “THE 12 DAY WAR”.

Trump’s ceasefire announcement suggests that the end of the conflict will be recognised and “saluted” by the international community.

Ceasefire significance

The significance of the ceasefire lies in its potential to prevent further escalation of the conflict. The agreement might open avenues for future diplomatic discussions and negotiations between the two nations.

Iranian FM denies existence of any ceasefire “agreement”

Around 5:18 am Iranian time, the country’s Foreign Minister (FM) Abbas Araqchi stated that the final decision on the cessation of military operations would be made later.

The Iranian FM indicated that if Israel halted its “illegal aggression” against Iranians by 4 am Tehran time, Iran would not continue its response.

However, Araqchi was very clear that there was currently no agreement on any ceasefire or cessation of military operations between Israel and Iran.

This does not mean that the ceasefire will not take effect around 4 am Iran time.

Israel’s continued strikes on Iran

Israel appears to have adopted a “free for all” bombardment strategy just hours before the ceasefire is set to take effect.

Explosions were reported in and around Karaf, shortly after Trump announced the truce.

Read more: Following ceasefire announcement, Israel continues bombarding Iran

The Israeli military issued evacuation warnings for residents in two areas of Tehran around 40 minutes after Trump’s announcement.

This also coincided with reports of ongoing strikes targeting Iran’s military installations and infrastructure.

AFP reported a series of “powerful explosions in Tehran”, with warplanes observed overhead as “blasts” shook “north and centre of” the Iranian capital.

In a related incident, drone strikes targeted military base near Baghdad was reported by Reuters, citing an Iraqi military official.