TEHRAN: Iran warned that it would be forced to acquire nuclear weapons if attacked by the United States or its allies.
This statement came from Ali Larijani, an advisor to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, following U.S. President Donald Trump’s threat to bomb the Islamic Republic.
“We are not pursuing nuclear weapons, but if the U.S. forces us into a corner, we will have no choice but to defend ourselves,” Larijani said in an interview on state TV. “If you attack us, whether directly or through Israel, you will compel us to reconsider our position.”
Khamenei’s comments were in response to Trump’s remarks on Saturday, in which the U.S. president threatened to bomb Iran unless a deal was struck to curb its nuclear program. Trump also warned of imposing “secondary tariffs” on Tehran.
In his remarks, Khamenei promised a strong retaliation if Trump’s threats materialized. “If they take action, they will face a severe counterattack,” he declared during a speech marking the end of Ramadan.
The tension escalated further when Iran’s UN Ambassador, Amir Saeid Iravani, sent a letter to the UN Security Council condemning what he called “warmongering provocations.” Iran’s response to any aggression, he stressed, would be “swift and decisive.”
