Iran Warns War Could Resume at Any Moment

　　According to an AFP report on August 18, senior Iranian officials warned on the 18th that war with Israel could break out at any time, stating that the calm following the 12-day conflict in June was only a temporary pause.

　　The report stated that Iran's First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref said: "We must always be prepared for confrontation; currently, we have not even reached a ceasefire agreement and are merely in a suspension of hostilities."

　　The report mentioned that during the conflict in June of this year, Israel bombed Iran's nuclear facilities, military bases, and residential areas, resulting in over 1,000 deaths, including several senior Iranian commanders and nuclear scientists. Iran retaliated with missile and drone attacks, causing dozens of deaths in Israel.

　　The United States intervened in the war by bombing Iranian nuclear facilities and announced a ceasefire between Israel and Iran two days later. However, no formal ceasefire agreement was reached at that time, and hostilities were only informally suspended.

　　The report also stated that on the 17th, Yahya Rahim Safavi, military advisor to Iran's Supreme Leader Khamenei, said that Iran is "making plans for the worst-case scenario."

　　He told Iran's Etela'at newspaper: "We are not in a ceasefire now but are in a stage of war, and hostilities could resume at any time. There are no agreements, rules, or understandings between us and Israel, or between us and the United States."

　　He added: "A ceasefire means a cessation of attacks, but this situation could change at any moment."