Tehran: U.S. President Donald Trump’s latest warning about potentially destroying Iran’s nuclear facilities has triggered a strong response from Tehran, with Iranian state-affiliated media labeling the remarks as a “clear red line” that could provoke serious consequences.
According to a report from the semi-official Fars News Agency on Friday, Iranian officials interpreted the threat as a blatant act of hostility. “If U.S. seeks a diplomatic solution, it must abandon the language of threats and sanctions,” an unnamed Iranian official stated. The official further asserted that such rhetoric “are open hostility against Iran’s national interests.”
Trump’s remarks came during a press event at the White House on Wednesday, where he laid out a hardline stance regarding the future of the Iran nuclear deal. “I want it (nuclear agreement) very strong where we can go in with inspectors, we can take whatever we want, we can blow up whatever we want, but nobody getting killed. We can blow up a lab, but nobody is gonna be in a lab, as opposed to everybody being in the lab and blowing it up,” Trump told reporters.
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This is not the first time Trump has suggested military action against Tehran’s nuclear program. He has repeatedly threatened to bomb Iran’s nuclear infrastructure if diplomatic efforts fail to bring about a resolution to the long-standing standoff over the country’s nuclear ambitions.
Despite the saber-rattling, Trump signaled on Friday that a diplomatic breakthrough could still be within reach. He told reporters that a deal with Iran was possible in the “not-too-distant future”.
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The escalating rhetoric adds new tension to already fraught relations between Washington and Tehran, amid ongoing efforts by European and regional powers to revive negotiations and stabilize the region.
