Dealmaker Donald Trump has issued a chilling warning to Iran, saying that if it refused to negotiate on its nuclear program, he would bomb the country “the likes of which they have never seen before”
The Kremlin has warned Donald Trump to back off after he threatened to strike the nuclear facilities of its ally, Iran. In a televised interview, the US President threatened Ayatollah Ali Khamenei with military action and crippling economic sanctions unless Tehran comes to the negotiating table over its nuclear programme.
“If they don’t make a deal, there will be bombing,” Trump declared. “It will be bombing the likes of which they have never seen before.” Russia – which has sought to position itself as a mediator between Washington and Tehran – warned that such an attack could have “catastrophic consequences”.
Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told International Affairs: “Threats are indeed being heard, ultimatums are also being heard. We consider such methods inappropriate, we condemn them, we consider them a way for (the US) to impose its own will on the Iranian side.”
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The strong-worded response could indicate a shift in Russian foreign policy towards the businessman president after Vladimir Putin sought to repair relations with him. Ryabkov clarified just how dangerous a strike on a nuclear facility would be.
“The consequences of this, especially if the strikes are on nuclear infrastructure, could be catastrophic for the entire region,” he warned. It was Trump who withdrew from the 2015 deal Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) between the Islamic Republic and a number of world powers, which sought to control the country’s nuclear development programme.
Tehran says it uranium-enrichment is for energy, but the rest of the world believes it has plans for building a nuclear weapon. Ryabkov said: “While there is still time and the ‘train has not left’, we need to redouble our efforts to try to reach an agreement on a reasonable basis. Russia is ready to offer its good services to Washington, Tehran and everyone who is interested in this.”
It comes after Iranian military leaders issued a stark warning, threatening to target British forces in the Chagos Islands if Trump acts on his threat to strike Iran.
According to The Telegraph, a high-ranking Iranian military official responded by stating Tehran would hit the joint US-UK naval base on Diego Garcia should the US launch an attack. An unnamed source was quoted saying: “There will be no distinction in targeting British or American forces if Iran is attacked from any base in the region or within the range of Iranian missiles.”
They added a chilling message: “When the time comes, it won’t matter whether you’re an American, British, or Turkish soldier – you will be targeted if your base is used by Americans.”
Iranian state media have reported that Tehran plans to strike the Diego Garcia facility with ballistic missiles and suicide drones as retaliation for any perceived US aggression. In a foreboding statement, they claimed: “Iran possesses adequate weapons for such an attack from its mainland, such as newer versions of the Khorramshahr missile that have an intermediate range, and the Shahed-136B kamikaze drone with a range of 4,000km [2,485 miles].”
The base is in Tehran’s crosshairs because it houses a strategic bomber force that has the capability to strike Iran’s subterranean facilities. The B-2 Spirit, known for its long-range, payload capacity, and advanced stealth technology, is the bomber force that poses a significant threat.