Israel and Iran agree to ceasefire if neither attacks the other

TEHRAN/TEL AVIV: Iran’s Foreign Minister (FM), Abbas Araqchi, stated that if Israel halted its “illegal aggression” against the “Iranian people” by 4 am Tehran time on Tuesday, Iran has no intention of continuing its military response.

The Iranian FM added that the final decision on the cessation of military operations would be made later. While he stated that there was currently no “agreement” on any ceasefire or cessation of hostilities between Israel and Iran, he strongly applied that the truce would take effect.

Read more: Iran-Israel ceasefire explained; Iran FM denies truce agreement

Araqchi went on to praise the Iranian military. In a post on social media platform X (Twitter), he expressed gratitude for the “brave” forces who remain prepared to defend the nation “until their last drop of blood”, and who responded to any enemy attacks until the final moment.

Israel agrees to ceasefire

Meanwhile, Israel’s Chanel 12 reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed to a ceasefire during a conversation with United States (US) President Donald Trump, contingent upon Iran ceasing its attacks.

White House officially confirms Israel-Iran truce

The White House officially confirmed the ceasefire, with a spokesperson stating that Donald Trump facilitated the deal through discussions with both, Israel and Iran.

In an interview with NBC News, the Republican expressed hope that the ceasefire would endure indefinitely.

Israel-Iran War

The “12 Day War”, as Donald Trump dubbed it, began on June 13, when Israel launched a series of attacks on Iran. The occupying regime targeted Iran’s elite military personnel and scientists, along with its nuclear sites.  

The attacks were carried out in the midst of US-Iran talks, with Israel accused of deliberately derailing the talks. One of the chief mediators from Iran side perished in the Israeli airstrikes.

For decades, Iran has challenged Israel’s legitimacy, calling it a Zionist regime occupying Palestinian lands and carrying out a genocide in Gaza.

Meanwhile, Israel views Iran’s nuclear ambitions as an existential threat to its security.

The recent war resulted in substantial casualties for Iran, with 430 Iranians perishing, mostly civilians. Israel reported 25 deaths and over 2,400 injuries.

The Iranian government arrested several suspected Mossad agents during the conflict, including few who turned out to be Indian nationals.

The situation deteriorated further after the US targeted three nuclear sites in Iran – Fardow, Esfahan and Natanz, which include Iran’s uranium enrichment facilities.

Israel has claimed Iran was “weeks away” from achieving weapons-grade uranium enrichment levels, despite several reputable sources denying such claims.

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

After the US attacked Iran, the latter vowed retaliation, launching strikes on several US bases across the Middle East.

Mere hours after the Iranian strikes, Trump announced a ceasefire on his own social media platform.