“Hopefully Iran will quickly ‘come to the table’ and negotiate a fair and equitable deal — NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS — one that is good for all parties,” Trump wrote on social media. “Time is running out.”
Amid a buildup of U.S. forces in the Middle East, including the arrival of the USS Abraham Lincoln strike group, Trump said a U.S. “armada” was approaching Iran. He added that a military strike in June had followed his previous warning to Tehran.
“The next attack will be far worse! Don’t make that happen again,” he said.
Iran responded with threats of its own. Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi warned that Iranian forces are “prepared — with their fingers on the trigger — to immediately and powerfully respond to ANY aggression.” He emphasized that Iran remains open to a “mutually beneficial, fair and equitable nuclear deal,” but only one that guarantees peaceful nuclear rights and is free from “coercion, threats, and intimidation.”
Ali Shamkhani, an adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, echoed the warning, stating Iran would strike the U.S., Israel, and their allies if attacked.
The escalation follows weeks of tension after a crackdown on protests across Iran. Trump has repeatedly threatened intervention over Iran’s domestic repression and warned of consequences if Tehran resumes nuclear activities following last year’s joint U.S.-Israeli airstrikes on nuclear sites.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told lawmakers the Iranian government is “probably weaker than it has ever been,” predicting a resurgence of street protests. Still, U.S. intelligence assessments suggest the regime’s upper ranks remain stable.
A senior U.S. official said Trump has yet to decide on further military action but believes Iran’s weakened state offers leverage to push for a denuclearization deal.
Meanwhile, the European Union is expected to impose new sanctions on Iran and could designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization at a meeting of foreign ministers in Brussels on Thursday.
(jh)
Source: PAP, Reuters, CNN