Iran warns of imminent war with Israel

TEHRAN: A senior Iranian official has warned that conflict with Israel could erupt at any moment, describing the current calm after June’s 12-day war as nothing more than a fragile pause.

“We must be prepared at every moment for confrontation. Right now, we are not even in a ceasefire; we are in a cessation of hostilities,” First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref said on Monday.

The June fighting saw Israel launch extensive airstrikes on 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 left dozens dead inside Israel.

The United States entered the conflict in its final phase, bombing Iranian nuclear facilities before announcing a halt to hostilities on June 24.

However, no formal ceasefire agreement was signed, leaving both sides in a precarious state of undeclared truce.

On Sunday, Yahya Rahim Safavi, senior military adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said Tehran was actively preparing “plans for the worst-case scenario.”

“We are not in a ceasefire 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 or the Americans,” Safavi told Shargh daily.

Iranian officials have repeatedly stressed that while the country does not seek war, it remains fully prepared for another confrontation.

Meanwhile, Western powers continue to accuse Tehran of pursuing nuclear weapons through its atomic programme — allegations Iran categorically denies. Israel and the United States have warned they will strike again if Iran resumes nuclear enrichment activities at its facilities.