World
India
In a stark response to US President Donald Trump’s threat to bomb Iran, unless a new nuclear deal is reached, the country’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei issued a powerful warning on Monday, saying the US would face a “strong blow” if it follows through on its military threat, Reuters reported.
The sharp remarks came after Trump reiterated his threat to take military action against Iran if it fails to accept his offer for negotiations, first outlined in a letter to Tehran’s leadership in early March. The US president reportedly gave Iran a two-month window to decide whether to engage in direct talks.
“The enmity from the US and Israel has always been there. They threaten to attack us, which we don’t think is very probable, but if they commit any mischief, they will surely receive a strong reciprocal blow,” Khamenei said during his address, according to Reuters. The Supreme Leader also warned that any internal unrest or attempts to sow division would be met with a strong response, referencing past protests such as those in 2019 over fuel price hikes and the 2022-2023 protests sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody.
US-Iran Diplomatic Standoff
The escalating rhetoric follows months of heightened tensions between the US and Iran, especially since the Trump administration’s 2018 withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers. Trump’s decision to reimpose sweeping sanctions on Iran has led to a breakdown in negotiations, with Tehran reportedly exceeding the nuclear deal’s limits on uranium enrichment in recent years.
In response to Trump’s latest demands, Iranian officials have made it clear they are unwilling to engage in direct negotiations with Washington. President Masoud Pezeshkian suggested Sunday that Tehran was open to continuing indirect talks, but only in accordance with guidelines set by Khamenei. The Iranian government has shown little interest in returning to a deal that it views as having been violated by the US.
Meanwhile, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei condemned Trump’s military threats, calling them a “shocking affront to the very essence of international peace and security.” “Violence breeds violence; peace begets peace. The U.S. can choose the course and concede to consequences”, he wrote in a social media post.
Revolutionary Guards Aerospace Commander Amirali Hajizadeh, meanwhile, reportedly made a pointed threat to American forces in the region, warning that US military bases in the Middle East are vulnerable to attack. “Americans have at least 10 bases in the region with 50,000 troops. They are in a glass house and should not throw stones,” Reuters quoted Hajizadeh as saying.
Western powers, including the US, have accused Iran of covertly pursuing a nuclear weapons program by enriching uranium beyond levels deemed necessary for civilian energy use. Tehran, however, has maintained that its nuclear ambitions are entirely peaceful, aimed at developing a sustainable energy program for its growing population.
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