Israel halts Iran strikes at Trump's request, Channel 12 says

Iran's army chief Amir Hatami said on Monday that any renewed attacks by Israel would trigger a stronger military response, accusing the country of violating a ceasefire agreement.

“The responsibility for the aggression of the Zionist regime lies with the United States, and if the enemy repeats its hostile actions, our measures will be more severe,” Hatami said.

Hatami said Israel had broken the ceasefire despite the presence of a mediator in Iran for talks.

President Masoud Pezeshkian said Iran has neither abandoned the battlefield nor the negotiating table.

“We will defend the nation’s rights with strength and will not retreat in the face of any threat,” Pezeshkian wrote on X.

Pezeshkian described diplomacy and defense as “the two wings of national power” and said Iran remained committed to both tracks.

Any agreement between Iran and the United States would require independent verification by the International Atomic Energy Agency to be credible, IAEA chief Rafael Grossi told in response to a question by Iran International reporter on Monday.

Grossi said Tehran and Washington were free to reach any arrangement they chose, but argued that an agreement without effective monitoring and verification would provide no assurance that either side was complying with its commitments.

He also said that if previous UN Security Council restrictions on Iran were fully restored, the agency would be responsible for verifying compliance, adding that ongoing military conflict had limited Iran's cooperation with inspectors.

Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya joint military command said on Monday that the armed forces had halted operations against Israel after what it called a “painful response."

The command said the strikes were carried out in support of the people of Lebanon after Israeli attacks in southern Lebanon and Dahiyeh, which it said were backed by the United States.

It warned that any continued attacks, including in southern Lebanon, would bring a much harsher response.

Iranian security forces dismantled four operational cells belonging to what authorities described as militant groups in the southeastern province of Sistan and Baluchestan, the semi-official Fars news agency reported on Monday.

Five militants were killed and 19 others arrested before they could carry out attacks, Fars reported, citing Iran's Intelligence Ministry. Authorities said weapons and military equipment were also seized during the operation.

Sistan and Baluchestan, which borders Pakistan and Afghanistan, has long been the scene of clashes between Iranian security forces and militant groups.