Iran denies ceasefire deal but suggests military operations have ended

Iran denied reaching a ceasefire agreement with Israel but said military operations had stopped as of a 4 a.m. deadline, provided Israel had ceased its attacks.

“As of now, there is NO ‘agreement’ on any ceasefire or cessation of military operations,” Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said in a statement early Tuesday, local time. He added that Iran had no intention to continue its military operations if Israel halted what he described as “illegal aggression against the Iranian people” by 4 a.m. Tehran time.

In a follow-up statement after the deadline, Araghchi said Iran’s military operations “continued until the very last minute,” suggesting the response had concluded for now. “The military operations of our powerful Armed Forces to punish Israel for its aggression continued until the very last minute, at 4 a.m.”

Just hours earlier, Trump announced a “complete and total ceasefire” between Israel and Iran, describing it as a 24-hour arrangement with each country observing a 12-hour ceasefire in succession.

“Upon the 24th Hour,” Trump said, “an Official END to THE 12 DAY WAR will be saluted by the World.”

The war began nearly two weeks ago with exchanges of airstrikes and missile attacks between Israel and Iran, killing more than 900 people in Iran and 25 in Israel, and injuring thousands more. The United States entered the conflict over the weekend by launching strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities at Fordo, Natanz, and Isfahan.

In response, Iran fired missiles toward Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar on Monday, targeting U.S. forces stationed there. The U.S. reported no casualties from the attack.