August 19, 2025 | 05:41 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – Iran’s First Vice President, Mohammad Reza Aref, issued a stark warning on Monday, August 18, 2025, that war with Israel could break out at any time.
According to a CNA report, Aref stated, "We must be prepared at every moment for confrontation; right now, we are not even in a ceasefire (agreement); we are in a cessation of hostilities."
He emphasized that the pause that followed the 12-day conflict in June was only temporary and not a binding agreement. There is no formal accord to halt the fighting, only a suspension of military activities that could end at any moment.
The Aftermath of the June Conflict
The June conflict involved Israeli airstrikes on Iranian nuclear and military facilities, as well as residential areas. The attacks reportedly killed more than 1,000 people, including senior commanders and nuclear scientists. In retaliation, Iran launched missile and drone attacks that killed dozens in Israel.
The United States also became involved in the conflict, attacking Iran's nuclear facilities on June 22. Two days later, the U.S. announced a cessation of hostilities, but no formal ceasefire agreement was ever reached.
Preparing for the Worst
On Sunday, August 17, 2025, Yahya Rahim Safavi, a military advisor to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, told Iranian media that the country is preparing for the worst-case scenario.
As reported by Shargh Daily, Safavi said, "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, between us and the Americans."
The nuclear issue remains a central point of international tension. Western powers, as quoted by Al Arabiya, accuse Iran of attempting to develop nuclear weapons through its atomic program, an accusation Iran vehemently denies.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has stated that Iran is the only non-nuclear state enriching uranium to 60 percent, far above the 3.67 percent limit set in the 2015 international agreement. This level is close to the 90 percent needed for a nuclear bomb.
Last week, the U.K., France, and Germany, three signatories of the 2015 agreement, threatened to reimpose previously lifted sanctions. In response, Iranian officials warned of serious consequences and hinted at the possibility of Iran withdrawing from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
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