Iran says ‘completely doubtful’ about ceasefire with Israel

ISTANBUL

Iran cast serious doubts on Sunday that a US-sponsored ceasefire with Israel will hold, saying it is fully ready to respond to any new attacks.

“Since we are completely doubtful about the enemy honoring its commitments, including the ceasefire, we are prepared to give it a tough response in case of recurrence of an act of aggression," Iran’s Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. Abdolrahim Mousavi said during a phone call with Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman.

He said Israel and the US launched attacks on Iran when Tehran was engaged in indirect nuclear negotiations with Washington.

“The two regimes have shown that they do not adhere to any international rules and norms,” he added.

“We did not initiate war, but we responded with all our power to the aggressor,” Mousavi said.

The Saudi state news agency SPA also confirmed the contact, saying the two officials discussed “bilateral relations in the defense field” and the latest developments in the region.

A 12-day conflict between Israel and Iran erupted on June 13 when Israel launched airstrikes on Iranian military, nuclear, and civilian sites, killing at least 606 people and injuring 5,332, according to Iran’s Health Ministry.

The US also bombed three Iranian nuclear facilities in Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan, in an escalation of the conflict.

Tehran launched retaliatory missile and drone strikes on Israel, killing at least 29 people and wounding more than 3,400, according to figures released by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

The conflict came to a halt under a US-sponsored ceasefire that took effect on June 24.