President says US has ‘very big, very powerful ships sailing to Iran right now’ (Image: Getty)
As fears of strikes against Iran reach fever-pitch, US President Donald Trump has revealed his conversations with Iranian officials where he laid out « no nuclear and stop killing protesters » ultimatums in the last few days and he says he plans more.
On Wednesday, USS Abraham Lincoln and the US Navy carrier strike group continued to travel towards the Gulf, and are already within striking distance of the nation, whose government is believed to have killed between 5,000 and 30,000 of its own citizens in a brutal crackdown against anti-regime protestors.
Trump sets out demands to Tehran
« We have a lot of very big, very powerful ships sailing to Iran right now. And it would be great if we didn’t have to use them. I told them two things; Number one no nuclear. And number two stop killing protesters. … They’re going to have to do something. » He was on red carpet for « Melania » film premier.
Donald Trump was warned earlier on Wednesday by an Iranian proxy official, any strike on the nation could « trigger a volcano in the region » as fears over a potential World War 3 skyrocket to alarming levels. The warning came from a senior Lebanese Hezbollah official, according to Iranian state-owned Press TV.
Nawaf al Moussawi claimed President Trump is looking to do one of two things – strike a deal with Iran or dismantle the regime. But he also issued a chilling threat to the US over any strike on Iran, warning « what holds the United States back is its inability to predict the aftermath of the strike ». Commenting on Hezbollah’s potential response to any attack, Moussawi reportedly said: « We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it. »
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Russia urges restraint on all sides
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov commented after the warning, urging restraint between the US and Iran.
He said Moscow « urges restraint on all sides » and that any use of force against Tehran could create regional chaos and « lead to very dangerous consequences ».
Iran has been on high alert over a possible US attack since Donald Trump revealed that « another beautiful armada » is heading to the Middle East. Iran replied with a message from a senior official who warned that any attack would be treated as « all-out war, » pledging a response to any violation of Iran’s sovereignty.
US holds multi-day combat readiness exercise
Earlier this week, Air Forces Central, the air component of the US Central Command (CENTCOM), said that it would hold a « multi-day readiness exercise to demonstrate the ability to deploy, disperse, and sustain combat airpower across the US Central Command area of responsibility. »
The exercise was « designed to enhance asset and personnel dispersal capability, strengthen regional partnerships and prepare for flexible response execution », Air Forces Central added in a statement.
On Wednesday, Keir Starmer said Britain and its allies are working to ensure Iran does not develop nuclear weapons.
Speaking during his visit to Beijing, the Prime Minister was asked about the situation in Iran and said: « Well, the big issue, the big challenge here, is to ensure that Iran doesn’t get a nuclear programme and we all absolutely agree on that, and we’re working with allies to that end, and that is the central focus I’m doing with our allies. »
Trump warns of attack ‘far worse’ than Operation Midnight Hammer
In a sign he is willing to launch strikes at Iran, as the US did during Israel‘s 12-day war with Tehran last year, the president added in a social media post: « Time is running out, it is truly of the essence. »
« 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. »
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