President Donald Trump and Iranian officials escalated their rhetoric Wednesday as the arrival of additional U.S. naval forces in the region heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran.
Trump warned Iran that any future U.S. military action would be “far worse” than the strikes carried out by American forces last summer, urging Iranian leaders to agree quickly to a deal with the United States.
“Hopefully Iran will quickly ‘Come to the Table’ and negotiate a fair and equitable deal – NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS – one that is good for all parties. Time is running out, it is truly of the essence!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“As I told Iran once before, MAKE A DEAL! They didn’t, and there was ‘Operation Midnight Hammer,’ a major destruction of Iran. The next attack will be far worse! Don’t make that happen again. Thank you for your attention to this matter,” he added.
Iran’s mission to the United Nations responded with its own warning, saying Tehran would not hesitate to defend itself if confronted militarily.
“Last time the U.S. blundered into wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, it squandered over $7 trillion and lost more than 7,000 American lives,” the mission said in a post on the social platform X.
“Iran stands ready for dialogue based on mutual respect and interests BUT IF PUSHED, IT WILL DEFEND ITSELF AND RESPOND LIKE NEVER BEFORE!” the statement continued.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio echoed the administration’s hard line during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, saying the United States must maintain a military posture capable of deterring or preventing attacks on U.S. forces and allies.
“And so I think it’s wise and prudent to have a force posture within the region that could respond and potentially, not necessarily what’s going to happen, but if necessary, preemptively prevent the attack against 1000s of American servicemen and other facilities in the region. And our allies,” Rubio told senators.
The exchange comes as U.S. military assets continue moving toward the region amid heightened concern over Iran’s actions and broader instability in the Middle East.
