Iran’s top military commander warned on Sunday that any US war against Tehran would serve as a “lesson” for US President Donald Trump, as tensions in the region continue to simmer.
Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi, the chief of staff of Iran’s armed forces, said the US president should understand that he is entering a “battle that teaches a lesson”.
Trump said Friday that regime change in Iran “would be the best thing that could happen,” as tensions escalate amid the deployment of a second U.S. aircraft carrier to the Middle East.
He announced that the USS Gerald R. Ford, described as the largest aircraft carrier in the world, would soon head to the region in case negotiations between Washington and Tehran fail.
“In case we don’t get a deal, we’re going to need them. They’re going to be gone soon,” he said.
The USS Abraham Lincoln and a fleet of destroyers are already stationed in the Persian Gulf region after being dispatched last month amid rising tensions between the two countries.
Mousavi described Trump’s comments as “unworthy of a president” and “reckless.”
He said that if Trump intends to wage war, he should not talk about “negotiations,” referring to the nuclear diplomacy between the two sides that resumed earlier this month.
The latest round of nuclear talks took place in Oman on February 6, more than eight months after the Iran-Israel war put diplomacy on the back burner.
Turkey and other regional states have recently intervened to help calm tensions and revive diplomatic channels, especially after Trump threatened military action against Iran.
The next round of talks is scheduled for Tuesday in Geneva, according to Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi, who confirmed the meeting in an interview on Sunday.
He said Washington must demonstrate its commitment to reaching an agreement aimed at resolving the nuclear issue.
“The ball is in America’s court,” he said. “If they’re honest, I’m sure we’ll be on our way to an agreement.”
