Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said he did not believe the United States was likely to attack Iran from outside, but warned that Washington would face a harsh response if it tried to provoke an uprising in the Islamic Republic.
“They are threatening harmful actions, but we do not believe or believe that they will carry out an attack from outside. However, if they do, our response will be harsh. If they intend to provoke an uprising within the country, the Iranian people will respond,” Khamenei said.
US President Donald Trump has threatened to bomb Iran and impose secondary tariffs on the country if Tehran does not reach a deal with Washington on its nuclear program.
In a telephone interview with NBC News, Trump said that US and Iranian officials have spoken, but did not provide details.
“If they don’t make a deal, there will be bombing. But there is a chance that if they don’t make a deal, I will impose secondary tariffs on them, like I did four years ago,” the US president said.
During his first term from 2017 to 2021, Trump withdrew the US from the deal between Iran and world powers that placed strict limits on Tehran’s disputed nuclear activities in exchange for easing sanctions.
