US President Donald Trump warned Iran on Monday of acting against the US. He said that if Tehran tried to take any action against his country, it would be a grave mistake.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani rejected the threat, while European powers cautioned against the consequences of the escalation.
Speaking to reporters in the White House, Trump said that “the US will see what will happen with Iran, but if it tried to do anything after Washington deployed an aircraft carrier and more fighters in the region, it would be a big mistake.”
Trump’s remarks come amid developments in the Arabian Gulf region, where the Central American Command said that the B52 bombers sent to the region a few days ago carried out their first flights on Sunday from the Al Udeid air base in Qatar.
Responding to Trump’s threats, Rouhani said that his country is facing several threats from its enemies, but it is capable to defeat them and overcome the difficult times.
The US sent last week a Patriot missile defence system to the Middle East amid escalating tensions with Iran. The move comes just months after the Pentagon removed several Patriot batteries from the Middle East.
Tensions between Washington and Tehran are at a high point over Iran’s nuclear programme, with the US increasing sanctions in the past year since Trump withdrew from the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) nuclear deal.
