Iran warns retaliation if U.S. escalates nuclear tensions
The highest spiritual and political leader of Iran, Ali Khamenei, warned on Monday that the U.S. will be struck if President Donald Trump's threats are realized. He announced that if Iran does not come to an agreement on the nuclear program, there will be "bombing the likes of which they have never seen before."
Khamenei stated in a speech given to mark the end of Ramadan, the holy month for Muslims, that if hostile actions occur, the U.S. "will definitely receive a strong counterattack."
"Hostility from the U.S. and Israel has always existed. They threaten to attack us, which we don't consider very likely, but if they commit any hostility, they will surely receive a strong blow in retaliation," Khamenei said. "And if they think about inciting unrest in our country, as in previous years, the Iranians themselves will deal with them," he added.
Iran blames the West
The statement by the supreme leader about "inciting unrest" is linked to the Iranian authorities' belief that the West is responsible for both the wave of protests sparked by the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, a young woman detained for insufficiently covering her body, and for earlier nationwide protests in 2019 related to rising fuel prices, explained Reuters.
Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian stated on Sunday that Tehran will not engage in direct negotiations with Washington, but is willing to continue talks through intermediaries.
Iran continues nuclear program
During his first presidential term, Trump withdrew the U.S. from the 2015 agreement between Iran and the world powers; under this agreement, sanctions on Iran were eased in exchange for its commitment to limit its nuclear program. Trump then re-imposed severe American sanctions.
Since then, Iran has significantly exceeded the enrichment limits on uranium, Reuters reminded. Western powers accuse Iran of developing plans for nuclear weapons by enriching uranium to levels exceeding civilian needs.
In February, Trump reinstated the policy of "maximum pressure" on Iran and warned of consequences if Tehran does not reach an agreement on the nuclear program. As a result of this policy, implemented during the previous U.S. president's term, Iran's economy significantly declined - inflation soared, and oil exports dropped.
