"Hands on the trigger": IRGC commanders issue defiant warning despite US-Iran ceasefire

The commanders issued a stern warning to adversaries, asserting their continued combat readiness despite the pause in hostilities. "They experienced it today and saw that our hands are on the trigger, and as soon as the enemy makes the slightest mistake, it will be responded to with full force," the joint statement noted, according to the IRIB.

The message from the IRGC leadership emphasised that their forces remain positioned to react immediately to any perceived provocation, reiterating that any "slightest mistake" by the enemy would be met with "full force."

While military commanders maintained a hardline stance, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Wednesday stated that the ceasefire deal between the US and Tehran reflects the collective will of the Iranian people and the country's leadership, describing it as the result of sacrifice and national unity.

In a post on X, Pezeshkian framed the diplomatic breakthrough as a legacy of the conflict's origins, stating the deal was the "fruit of the blood" of the former Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, Ali Khamenei, who was killed in US-Israeli strikes on February 28, initiating the over-a-month-long conflict in the region.

"The ceasefire, with the acceptance of the general principles desired by Iran, was the fruit of the blood of our great martyred leader Khamenei and the achievement of the presence of all the people on the scene. From today onward, we will also remain together, whether in the field of diplomacy, whether in the field of defence, whether on the street scene, and whether in the arena of service provision," the Iranian President said.

This internal Iranian consensus follows a decisive shift from Washington, where US President Donald Trump suspended the "bombing and attack" campaign on Iran, announcing a two-week, double-sided ceasefire and saying that the 10-point proposal from Iran was "workable."

In a post on Truth Social, Trump indicated that the proposal will serve as ground to negotiate for a permanent deal while reiterating that the US has already achieved most of its military objectives.

"Based on conversations with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir of Pakistan, and wherein they requested that I hold off the destructive force being sent tonight to Iran, and subject to the Islamic Republic of Iran agreeing to the COMPLETE, IMMEDIATE, and SAFE OPENING of the Strait of Hormuz, I agree to suspend the bombing and attack of Iran for a period of two weeks. This will be a double-sided CEASEFIRE!" Trump said.

Detailing the rationale behind the pause, the US President added, "The reason for doing so is that we have already met and exceeded all Military objectives, and are very far along with a definitive Agreement concerning Long-term PEACE with Iran, and PEACE in the Middle East. We received a 10-point proposal from Iran, and believe it is a workable basis on which to negotiate." (ANI)