Iranian lawmaker says 'war with Israel has not ended', warns it could 'begin at any time'

Motorists drive their vehicles past a billboard depicting Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei displayed in the centre of Tehran's Valiasr Square on July 13, 2025. (Photo by ATTA KENARE / AFP)

A senior Iranian lawmaker has warned that the fragile ceasefire between Iran and Israel may not hold, as tensions remain dangerously elevated following last month’s intense military conflict.

“War has not ended, it has only stopped temporarily," said Fadahossein Maleki, a member of Iran’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, in remarks carried by Iranian media.

“There is a real possibility it could begin again at any time,” he added.

The warnings come just weeks after a short but intense conflict between Iran and Israel that erupted on June 13, when Israel launched a surprise assault on Iran’s nuclear and military infrastructure. The Israeli strikes targeted key installations and significantly damaged Iran’s air defenses and nuclear facilities, according to multiple regional and international reports.

Iran responded swiftly and forcefully, launching over 550 ballistic missiles and 1,000 explosive drones at Israeli military bases and cities, marking one of the most intense direct exchanges between the two arch-rivals.

The United States, which initially limited its involvement to defensive support for Israel, entered the conflict directly on day nine, carrying out airstrikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities, reportedly located at Natanz, Isfahan, and Fordow.

Iran, in turn, responded by firing missiles at a US base in Qatar, triggering alarm over the potential for a broader regional war involving Gulf nations and NATO allies.

A US-brokered ceasefire was eventually reached on June 24, halting hostilities after nearly two weeks of high-stakes military escalation. While the truce stopped further combat, analysts have cautioned that the ceasefire remains fragile and unsustainable without diplomatic progress.

Though Iran’s nuclear facilities suffered extensive structural damage, experts cited in regional intelligence reports have suggested that Tehran may have evacuated critical enriched uranium stockpiles in advance, thereby minimising the long-term disruption to its nuclear ambitions.

In addition to military readiness, Tehran is also confronting renewed diplomatic strain with the West, particularly over nuclear negotiations and the threat of snapback UN sanctions.

Fadahossein Maleki’s remarks highlight Iran’s growing concern over the potential return of these punitive measures, which could deepen its isolation and inflame internal economic pressures.

“There is a real possibility it could begin again at any time,” Maleki reiterated, signaling that Iran sees the current ceasefire not as a resolution, but as an intermission in a potentially longer conflict.