Trump’s threat to bomb Iran sparks retaliation warning from Supreme Leader
Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, warned on Monday that the United States would face a strong response if it followed through on President Donald Trump’s threat to bomb Tehran. Trump reiterated on Sunday that Iran must accept his offer for nuclear talks, first outlined in a letter to Iranian leadership in early March, giving Tehran a two-month deadline to respond.
“The enmity from the U.S. 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.
He also cautioned that any attempts to incite internal unrest in Iran would be countered by the Iranian people. Iranian authorities have blamed the West for recent protests, including demonstrations in 2022-2023 over the death of Mahsa Amini and nationwide protests in 2019 against fuel price increases.
Last week, Iran formally responded to the U.S. letter, with President Masoud Pezeshkian stating that Tehran would not engage in direct negotiations but was open to continuing indirect talks as instructed by Khamenei.
Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei condemned Trump’s statement, calling the threat of bombing a “shocking affront to the very essence of international peace and security.” He added, “Violence breeds violence, peace begets peace. The U.S. can choose the course and concede to consequences.”
Trump previously withdrew the U.S. from the 2015 nuclear deal, which had placed strict limits on Iran’s nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief. Since then, Iran has significantly exceeded the deal’s limits on uranium enrichment.
Western powers accuse Iran of seeking nuclear weapons capability, while Tehran insists its nuclear program is solely for civilian energy purposes.
Credit: NBC News
