Iran's defense minister on Monday said the Islamic Republic does not trust the current ceasefire with Israel and has prepared multiple military scenarios in anticipation of renewed hostilities.
“The Islamic Republic does not trust the ceasefire,” Aziz Nasirzadeh said in a phone call with Turkey’s defense minister Yasar Guler on Monday, according to the state-run IRNA news. “We have therefore anticipated various scenarios for any new adventurism.”
“We are not seeking to expand war and insecurity in the region, but we are ready to give a firm and regret-inducing response to any act of aggression,” he added.
Nasirzadeh also criticized the timing of the strikes, saying, “The attack on Iran took place during negotiations. We have proven to the world that we are not opposed to dialogue and negotiation.”
On June 13, Israel launched a large-scale surprise air campaign against Iran, striking multiple nuclear and military sites as part of the opening phase of what became a 12‑day conflict.
Hundreds of Iranian civilians were killed in the Israeli airstrikes. Iranian missile attacks also killed 27 Israeli civilians.
Following the Israeli strikes, Iran–US nuclear talks scheduled for June 15 in Muscat were called off.
The United States joined the offensive on June 22 with its own strikes—dubbed Operation Midnight Hammer—involving B‑2 bombers and Tomahawk cruise missiles targeting Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan.
A ceasefire came into effect on June 24, brokered by US President Donald, marking the end of the fighting. While the ceasefire ended the air war, its long-term viability remains in doubt.
Last month, Iran’s reformist daily Shargh described the ceasefire as legally fragile and unpredictable.
“The ceasefire is not based on any international legal standards, regulations, or the rules of official global organizations and institutions,” the newspaper wrote.
“In fact, it is a temporary and ambiguous ceasefire, and there can be no serious certainty about its durability.”
Last week, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in an interview that Israel had rolled back Iran's nuclear program but implied the Jewish state had not yet finished its confrontation with the Islamic Republic.
