Iran warns of imminent war with Israel amid rising tensions

Tehran: A senior Iranian official has warned that war with Israel could break out at any moment, describing the current silence following the 12-day conflict in June as merely a temporary pause.

According to news agencies, Iran’s First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref stated, “We must be prepared for possible confrontation at any moment. We are not in a formal ceasefire, but rather in a state of temporary suspension of hostilities.”

During the June conflict, Israel bombed Iranian nuclear and military facilities as well as residential areas, resulting in over 1,000 deaths, including senior commanders and nuclear scientists. In response, Iran launched missile and drone attacks, killing dozens of Israelis.

The United States, after directly joining the war by bombing Iranian nuclear facilities, announced a halt to hostilities on June 24 — two days after its involvement began. However, no formal ceasefire agreement was reached, and only an unofficial lull in clashes has followed.

On Sunday, Yahya Rahim Safavi, military advisor to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, told Iranian media that the country is preparing for the worst-case scenario.

In a statement published in the Shargh daily, he said, “We are not in a ceasefire but in a phase of war that can reignite at any moment. There is no protocol, no agreement between us and the Israelis or between us and the Americans.” He added that a ceasefire implies a halt in attacks, but the situation could change at any time.

Iranian officials have repeatedly said that Iran does not want war but is ready for any renewed confrontation.

Western powers accuse Iran of attempting to develop nuclear weapons through its nuclear program — a claim Tehran strongly denies. After the war, both Israel and the United States repeatedly warned that if Iran resumes its nuclear activities and uranium enrichment, further attacks could follow.

The United Nations’ nuclear watchdog, the IAEA, has warned that Iran is the only non-nuclear weapons state enriching uranium up to 60%, far above the 3.67% limit set under the 2015 international nuclear deal. This enrichment level is close to the 90% needed for nuclear weapons.

Last week, parties to the 2015 agreement — the UK, France, and Germany — warned they may reimpose lifted sanctions. In response, Iran threatened serious consequences, with some officials hinting that Tehran might even withdraw from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said on Monday that Iran would continue talks with the UN nuclear watchdog, and another round of negotiations is expected in the coming days.

Since the June conflict and the bombings by Israel and the US, IAEA inspectors have not been able to access Iran’s nuclear sites, although IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi has repeatedly stated that inspections remain his top priority.

Baghaei said, “We had talks with the agency last week. These talks will continue, and another round of negotiations between Iran and the agency is likely in the coming days.”