Khamenei promises strong response if U.S. bombs Iran

The Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said on Monday he would deal the United States a strong reciprocal blow if it carried out threats to bomb his country, Reuters reported. Khamenei’s statements came after U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday reiterated that unless Iran agrees to work on a new nuclear deal, he will drop bombs. Trump may also impose secondary tariffs to increase pressure on Iran, he told NBC News.

Khamenei said he didn’t believe the United States was likely to carry out Trump’s bombing threat, but was ready to respond immediately. Amir Ali Hajizadeh, the commander of the Aerospace Division of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, had a more sinister response to Trump. Hajizadeh on Monday said 50,000 American soldiers are stationed near Iran, and people living in glass houses should not throw stones, according to Iran International.

Khamenei sent his statement through the Swiss embassy in Tehran, which frequently serves as an intermediary between Iran and the United States. Top Iranian official Issa Kameli also personally met with a Swiss embassy representative to discuss claims that Trump’s threats violated international law.

Will Iran negotiate on a nuclear deal? Iran’s president on Sunday said Iran would continue to follow Khamenei’s directive not to negotiate directly with the United States. However, he said he was open to indirect negotiations. The statement was Iran’s first response to a letter Trump sent in early March which asked for negotiations on a nuclear deal.

What else is Trump doing to push Iran into making a deal? Trump in February also signed a memo restoring a maximum pressure policy on Iran intended to keep the country from ever obtaining a nuclear weapon. The memo directed top U.S. officials to beef up and enforce economic sanctions against Iran.