In an escalating war of words, Trump told Iran's President Rouhani on Twitter to "NEVER EVER" threaten the US. The Iranian foreign minister shot back with a tweet telling the Trump to "BE CAUTIOUS!"
Image: picture-alliance/Sputnik/S. Guneev
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Responding to Iranian President Hassan Rouhani's remarks about peace and war with the US, President Donald Trump resorted to an all-caps tweet on Monday to warn Rouhani against threatening the United States.
Trump, who has a history of firing off escalating tweets targeting the leaders of countries at odds with the US, told Rouhani to "NEVER EVER THREATEN THE UNITED STATES AGAIN."
The US president then issued his own threat, saying Iran "WILL SUFFER CONSEQUENCES THE LIKE OF WHICH FEW THROUGHOUT HISTORY HAVE EVER SUFFERED BEFORE."
Earlier on Sunday, Rouhani had warned the US that Iran could shut down international oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz if Washington continued to provoke and threaten Tehran.
"America must understand well that peace with Iran is the mother of all peace and war with Iran is the mother of all wars," Rouhani told Iranian diplomats.
In an address to the Iranian diaspora in California on Sunday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo criticized Iran saying its leaders were a "mafia" and accusing several of them of corruption. He also promised US support for Iranians who are unhappy with their government.
Iran: 'BE CAUTIOUS!'
A few hours after Trump leveled his threatening tweet in all-caps, Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif dissmissed the US president's threat by advising caution, also in all-caps. In the tweet, Zarif stressed Iran's longevity, in comparison to the US, to emphasize his country's resiliency, and added that Iran had received even harsher criticism "albeit more civilized ones" in the past.
"COLOR US UNIMPRESSED... We've been around for millennia & seen fall of empires, incl our own, which lasted more than the life of some countries. BE CAUTIOUS!"
Ramping up tensions
Members of Trump's administration have ramped up their rhetoric against Iran in an effort intended to foment unrest and put pressure on Iran to end its nuclear program, US officials told Reuters news agency.
In May, Trump withdrew the US from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal and said Washington would move to fully restore economic sanctions against Tehran in November.
The international deal saw six countries — the US, the UK, France, Germany, Russia and China — agree to lift sanctions against Iran in exchange for limitations on Iran's nuclear program.
Although European and Iranian leaders have been scrambling to save the deal, many companies and banks have stopped doing business in Iran amid fears they could be targeted by US sanctions.
rs,jcg /se (AP, Reuters)
Iran nuclear deal — treaty under threat
A year after Donald Trump pulled the US from the international nuclear accord with Iran, the Middle East nation announced it would no longer adhere to some "voluntary commitments" in the accord.
Image: picture-alliance/epa/D. Calma
The deal breaker
President Donald Trump announced on May 8, 2018 that he was pulling the United States out of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, arguing that the international accord was not in America's "national interest." The decision threw a cloud of uncertainty over the future of the nuclear accord and raised tensions with US allies in Europe.
Image: Reuters/J. Ernst
Slap in the face
Britain, France and Germany lobbied the Trump administration and Congress to remain in the nuclear accord, arguing that the deal was working and a US violation without a follow up plan would be destabilizing. In European capitals, the Trump administration's withdrawal was viewed as a slap in the face of allies.
Image: Reuters/K. Lamarque
Iran scrap 'voluntary commitments'
A year to the day after Trump's announcement, Iran informed the other signatories of the accord that they would no longer adhere to certain "voluntary commitments." Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said the signatory nations had 60 days to implement promises to protect Iran's oil and banking sectors or Iran would resume the enrichment of uranium.
The decision came after the United States deployed an aircraft, the USS Lincoln, along with a bomber task force to the Middle East. Washington said the deployment was intended as a "clear unmistakable message." Iran said it took action because the European Union and others "did not have the power to resist US pressure."
Image: AP
A triumph of diplomacy
The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), better known as the Iran nuclear deal, was signed in 2015 by United States, China, Russia, France, Germany and Britain (P5+1) and Iran following years of negotiations. Under the international agreement, Iran agreed to dismantle its nuclear program and be subject to monitoring in exchange for the lifting of international nuclear related sanctions.
Image: picture alliance / landov
Compliance and verification
The JCPOA includes a robust monitoring, verification and inspection regime carried out by International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The UN watch dog has verified Iran's compliance with the deal in 12 quarterly reports. The JCPOA allows Iran to pursue a peaceful nuclear program for commercial, medical and industrial purposes in line with international non-proliferation standards.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/R. Schlager
Obama's achievement
The Iran nuclear deal was President Barack Obama's signature foreign policy achievement. Seeking to undo nearly every Obama administration legacy, Trump came into office calling it the "worst deal ever." The Trump administration argues the nuclear deal doesn't address other unrelated issues such as Iran's ballistic missiles, regional influence, support for "terrorist" groups and human rights.
Image: Reuters/Y. Gripas
Iranians approved
The nuclear deal and lifting of punishing nuclear related international sanctions created optimism in Iran after years of economic isolation. However, even before Trump pulled the US out of the deal, Tehran blamed the US for holding back international investment and not fulfilling its end of the bargain due to the uncertainty created by Trump's threats.
Image: picture alliance/AA/F. Bahrami
The opponents
After eight years with Barack Obama, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu found the US president he wanted in Donald Trump. The Israeli leader repeatedly slammed the deal despite his own military and intelligence chiefs' assessment the that JCPOA, while not perfect, was working and should be maintained. Saudi Arabia and the UAE are the other main opponents of the nuclear deal.
Image: Reuters/R. Zvulun
Who's left?
The EU-3 (Britain, France, Germany) have scrambled to ensure that Iran receives the economic benefits it was promised in order to avoid Tehran pulling out of the deal. As EU businesses face retaliation from the US for doing business with Iran, many are opting to avoid Iran. This would likely be a present to Chinese and Russian businesses.
