No Ceasefire Yet: Iran Says Israel Must Halt Strikes by 4 A.M. or Face Further Retaliation

According to Saed News, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has firmly denied the existence of any ceasefire agreement with Israel, directly contradicting earlier claims made by U.S. President Donald Trump. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Araghchi clarified that Iran has not agreed to suspend its military operations, but signalled that Tehran is prepared to de-escalate — under specific conditions.

“There is currently no agreement on a ceasefire or operational pause,” Araghchi stated. “However, should the Israeli regime halt its unlawful aggression against the Iranian people by 4 a.m. today, we have no intention of continuing our response.”

This conditional de-escalation appears to reflect Tehran’s strategic calculus: projecting strength and moral high ground while leaving a narrow diplomatic opening to avoid further escalation. Araghchi was careful to reiterate that Iran did not initiate the conflict. “As we’ve said repeatedly,” he wrote, “Israel started this war — not us.”

The remarks follow a night of mounting international concern as the conflict entered its twelfth day. Earlier, President Trump claimed that a ceasefire had been reached between Iran and Israel, a statement that now appears premature at best and misleading at worst.

Iran’s position underscores both its distrust of U.S. mediation and its insistence on reciprocal restraint. While Araghchi hinted at a possible end to retaliatory actions, he made it clear that any such decision would depend on Israel’s behaviour — and would be taken only after internal deliberation. “A final decision on halting military operations,” he concluded, “will be made accordingly.”

The message from Tehran signals a willingness to avoid deeper conflict — but also serves as a sharp reminder that Iran, now emboldened by its calibrated missile strikes and international attention, is seeking to set the terms of engagement.