Iran’s first vice president warned that war with Israel could break out “at any moment,” calling the lull after June’s 12-day conflict only a temporary pause as tensions over Tehran’s nuclear program and regional hostilities intensify.
“We must be prepared at every moment for confrontation; right now, we are not even in a cease-fire agreement; we are in a cessation of hostilities,” said First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref.
The fighting in June saw Israel bombard Iranian nuclear and military sites, as well as residential areas, killing more than 1,000 people, including senior commanders and nuclear scientists.
Iran retaliated with missile and drone strikes that killed dozens in Israel.
The United States announced a halt in fighting on June 24, two days after it joined the war by bombing Iranian nuclear facilities. But there was no agreement formalizing the cease-fire, only an undeclared pause in hostilities.
On Sunday, Yahya Rahim Safavi, a military adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, told Iranian media the country was “preparing plans for the worst-case scenario.”
“We are not in a cease-fire now, we are in a war phase, it could break down at any time, there is no protocol, no regulations, no agreement between us and the Israelis, between us and the Americans,” he said in remarks published by the Shargh daily.
“A cease-fire means ceasing attacks; that could change at any time,” he added.
Since then, Iranian officials have insisted the country is not seeking war but is prepared for another confrontation.
Following the war, Israel and the United States repeatedly threatened to attack Iran again should Tehran relaunch its nuclear sites and resume uranium enrichment.
The United Nations nuclear watchdog has warned that Iran is the only non-nuclear-armed country enriching uranium to 60% — far beyond the 3.67% cap set by a 2015 international accord. That level is a short step from the 90% enrichment required for a nuclear weapon.
Last week, Britain, France and Germany — all signatories to the 2015 deal — threatened to reimpose sanctions lifted under the agreement.
Iran has warned of serious consequences, with some officials hinting at a possible withdrawal from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
