Iran says conflict with Israel could restart at any moment, stressing it is a “pause in hostilities, not a ceasefire”

TEHRAN, Aug 19 — A senior Iranian official has warned that war with Israel could flare up at any moment, saying the current lull following June’s 12-day conflict is merely a temporary pause rather than a formal ceasefire.

“We must be ready for confrontation at all times. This is not a ceasefire — it is only a suspension of hostilities,” First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref said.

The June conflict saw Israel carry out strikes on Iranian nuclear and military facilities as well as residential areas, killing more than 1,000 people, including senior commanders and nuclear scientists. Iran responded with missile and drone attacks that killed dozens in Israel.

Fighting halted on June 24, two days after the United States joined the war by bombing Iranian nuclear sites. However, no ceasefire agreement was ever reached — only an informal pause in fighting.

On Sunday, Yahya Rahim Safavi, a senior military adviser to Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, told local media that Iran was preparing for the “worst-case scenario.”

“We are not in a ceasefire. We are still in a state of war, and it can resume at any time. There are no protocols, no regulations, no agreement between us and the Israelis or Americans,” he said.

He added that a ceasefire implies a formal halt to attacks, which could be revoked at any moment.

Iran maintains it does not seek war, but officials say the country is fully prepared for renewed conflict.

Western countries continue to accuse Tehran of pursuing nuclear weapons through its atomic programme, a claim Iran denies.

Israel and the United States have repeatedly warned of further strikes if Iran resumes its nuclear enrichment efforts. The UN nuclear watchdog has noted that Iran is the only non-nuclear-armed nation enriching uranium to 60 per cent — far above the 3.67 per cent limit set by the 2015 nuclear accord.

Britain, France and Germany — all signatories to the 2015 agreement — recently threatened to reimpose sanctions lifted under the deal. Iran has warned of serious consequences, with some officials hinting the country could pull out of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty. — AFP