The comments came shortly before US President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire between Israel and Iran.
By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
An Iranian official claimed that Tehran never received a ceasefire proposal from the United States and saw no reason to end the war with Israel and the United States, the official told CNN on Monday night.
The official claimed that Tehran would continue the war and that remarks from Israeli and US leaders would be viewed as a “deception” to justify continued attacks on Iran.
“At this very moment, the enemy is committing aggression against Iran, and Iran is on the verge of intensifying its retaliatory strikes, with no ear to listen to the lies of its enemies,” the official said.
Trump’s ceasefire announcement
The comments came shortly before US President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire between Israel and Iran.
Israeli officials have yet to confirm or deny Trump’s announcement. Iranian media reported a similar lack of confirmation.
Trump announced late on Monday night that a ceasefire has been reached between Israel and Iran and will enter into effect at 7 a.m. Israel time.
Trump said that Iran will immediately cease attacks and Israel will join the ceasefire on the 12th hour of the agreement. On the 24th hour, both sides will reportedly accept an end to the 12-day war.
“CONGRATULATIONS TO EVERYONE! It has been fully agreed by and between Israel and Iran that there will be a Complete and Total CEASEFIRE (in approximately 6 hours from now, when Israel and Iran have wound down and completed their in progress, final missions!),” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“For 12 hours, at which point the War will be considered, ENDED! Officially, Iran will start the CEASEFIRE and, upon the 12th Hour, Israel will start the CEASEFIRE and, upon the 24th Hour, an Official END to THE 12 DAY WAR will be saluted by the World.
“During each CEASEFIRE, the other side will remain PEACEFUL and RESPECTFUL. On the assumption that everything works as it should, which it will, I would like to congratulate both Countries, Israel and Iran, on having the Stamina, Courage, and Intelligence to end, what should be called, ‘THE 12 DAY WAR.’ This is a War that could have gone on for years, and destroyed the entire Middle East, but it didn’t, and never will! God bless Israel, God bless Iran, God bless the Middle East, God bless the United States of America, and GOD BLESS THE WORLD!”
Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani secured Tehran’s agreement to the US proposal for a ceasefire in the conflict between Israel and Iran during a call with Iranian officials held after Iran’s strikes on a US air base in Qatar on Monday, an official briefed on the negotiations told Reuters early on Tuesday.
The phone call came after Trump told Qatar’s emir that Israel had agreed to the ceasefire and asked for Doha’s help persuading Tehran to also agree to the ceasefire deal, the official said.
Israeli officials previously confirmed to the Jerusalem Post that the IDF intended to wrap up operations in Iran in the coming days.