United States President Donald Trump has threatened Iran with “consequences the likes of which few throughout history have ever suffered before”. “Never, ever threatens the United States again,” Trump tweeted in capital letters on Monday.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani had warned Trump on Sunday against inciting Tehran with hostile policies.
“We are no longer a country that will stand for your demented words of violence and death,” Trump told Rouhani. “Be cautious!”
In an address to Iranian diplomats on Sunday, Rouhani had said: “Peace with Iran is the mother of all peace, and war with Iran is the mother of all wars.” Reacting to America’s threat to stop Iran’s oil exports, he had said: “Anyone who understands the rudiments of politics doesn’t say ‘we will stop Iran’s oil exports’…we have been the guarantor of the regional waterway’s security throughout history.”
The United States has asked its allies, including India, to stop importing crude oil from Iran by November 4.
Relations between the US and Iran have been tense since Trump announced in May his decision to pull America out of a Barack Obama-era nuclear agreement with Iran, calling it “decaying and rotten”. The US has said it will re-impose sanctions against Iran and has asked some other countries to take similar action.
“Mr Trump, don’t play with the lion’s tail, this would only lead to regret,” Rouhani said. “You are not in a position to incite the Iranian nation against Iran’s security and interests.”
He said “overthrow, disintegration, boycott and weakening” were the main US policies against Iran.
“The nature of Iranian culture is peace-seeking and helping neighboring countries against killers,” he said. “We rooted out ISIS [Islamic State group] and saved the peoples of the region and we are proud of ourselves for that. You supplied ISIS killers with weapons and money and now you claim advocacy of human rights?”
