War of Words Escalates between Iranian, US Presidents

“NEVER, EVER THREATEN THE UNITED STATES AGAIN OR YOU WILL SUFFER CONSEQUENCES THE LIKES OF WHICH FEW THROUGHOUT HISTORY HAVE EVER SUFFERED BEFORE,” Trump wrote in a tweet late Sunday.

“WE ARE NO LONGER A COUNTRY THAT WILL STAND FOR YOUR DEMENTED WORDS OF VIOLENCE & DEATH. BE CAUTIOUS!” said the 71-year-old US president.

His comments came after Rouhani warned his US counterpart not to play with the lion’s tail after Donald Trump’s push to halt Iran’s export of oil, saying a war with Iran would be “the mother of wars” and that control over the Strait of Hormuz is only one of Iran’s advantages.

In an address to a meeting of heads of Iran’s diplomatic missions abroad, held in Tehran on Sunday morning, Rouhani derided Trump’s plan to drive the Islamic Republic’s oil exports down to zero, saying an individual with even a basic knowledge of politics would never talk about a halt to Iranian oil exports.

“Mr Trump! Do not play with the lion’s tail, (because) you’ll regret it. You are unable to provoke the Iranian nation against Iran’s security and interests,” Rouhani underlined.

“Americans must well realize that peace with Iran is the mother of all peace, and war with Iran would be the mother of wars. We don’t give in to threats, and our capability is deterrent,” the Iranian president said.

The Trump administration walked out of the 2015 nuclear deal early May and threatened to impose harsh sanctions on Iran that will “destroy the Iranian economy”, unless Iran cave into demands by the US regarding its defence and regional policies.

Other parties to the nuclear deal, the three European powers of Germany, Britain and France, as well as China and Russia, have denounced the US withdrawal and vowed to remain committed to the pact.