Iran has announced a ceasefire: The Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, the body that coordinates all of Iran's armed forces, announced Monday that Iran would hold its fire against Israel and would not resume it unless Israel attacks Iran or Lebanon.
The Iranian announcement comes after 24 hours of intense escalation between Israel and Iran, during which Tehran fired numerous missiles at Israeli territory, while the Israeli Air Force struck targets across Iran.
"In accordance with the conditions prevailing on the ground, a halt to the operations of the armed forces has been declared. However, it is emphasized that if the wicked acts of aggression continue, including in southern Lebanon, much harsher and more crushing measures will be on the way," the headquarters said in its statement.
The new element in the Iranian declaration is the inclusion of all of southern Lebanon under Iran's escalation umbrella, along with an implicit demand by Tehran that Israel halt all attacks in Lebanon. Otherwise, Iran will resume firing at Israel.
The comments come after growing pressure from Washington to hold fire. US President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social: "Both sides, Israel and Iran, are interested in an immediate ceasefire! The final negotiations on 'peace' are moving forward, provided that ignorance or stupidity do not stand in the way. The siege will remain in effect, with full force and impact, until a 'final agreement' is reached. Things must move quickly."
