Iran Orders Immediate Ceasefire but Warns: "Our Hands Remain on the Trigger"
However, the Iranian leadership has issued a stern warning that this directive should not be misinterpreted as a surrender or the official end of the war. According to a report by NDTV, while the order aims to pause active hostilities, the Supreme Leader emphasized that the military must remain in a state of maximum readiness to respond to any perceived provocations from the United States or Israel.
During a special broadcast on Iranian state television, Mojtaba Khamenei clarified that the ceasefire is a strategic pause rather than a formal conclusion to the ongoing hostilities. He stated that all branches of the armed forces must adhere to the command to halt fire, but cautioned that the defense apparatus will remain fully mobilized. This announcement follows an intense period of aerial and maritime engagements and comes amidst significant international pressure and specific ultimatums from Washington regarding the destruction of Iranian infrastructure.
Reinforcing the Supreme Leader's stance, the Supreme National Security Council of Iran released a separate, strongly-worded statement regarding the ceasefire. The Council asserted that their "hands remain on the trigger" and warned that any minor error or offensive action from the opposing forces would be met with the full force of Tehran’s military capabilities. This defiant rhetoric suggests that while the shelling may have stopped, the underlying tensions remain at a breaking point, and the potential for a swift return to combat remains high if diplomatic negotiations fail to progress.
Political analysts view this move as a tactical maneuver by Tehran to navigate the immediate threats posed by U.S. President Donald Trump's recent ultimatum, which expired at midnight on Tuesday. By ordering a pause in operations, Iran may be seeking to de-escalate the immediate risk of a full-scale strike on its power grid and bridges while maintaining its strategic leverage. Despite this temporary halt in shelling, the situation in the Middle East remains extremely volatile, with global markets and diplomatic missions across the world watching closely for any signs of a permanent resolution or a renewed outbreak of violence.
