Iran’s parliamentary speaker warned American leaders that using military force if nuclear talks collapse would have dire consequences for the U.S. and its allies in the region.
In an address Friday, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Qalibaf promised U.S. leaders that “their bases and those of their allies will not be safe” if the U.S. attacked Iran.
“If the Americans attack the sanctity of Iran, the entire region will blow up like a spark in an ammunition dump,” Mr. Qalibaf said during a live Al-Quds Day speech, marking the final Friday of the holy month of Ramadan.
The speaker’s harsh words come after President Trump offered a stark ultimatum to Iran’s supreme leader earlier this month. In a letter to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Mr. Trump urged Iran to come to the negotiating table or he would use military force.
“There are two ways Iran can be handled: militarily, or you make a deal,” Mr. Trump wrote.
The U.S. is also reportedly stepping up its military presence around Iran. Open-source intelligence reports from this week showed that a new round of B-2 stealth bombers and C-17 transport aircraft were en route or already stationed at the U.S. Air Force base on the Diego Garcia Naval Support Facility.
The supreme leader and other Iranian officials have categorized Mr. Trump’s letter as deceptive, with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi reiterating this week that Iran cannot enter negotiations with the U.S. until punitive sanctions are removed.
The foreign minister said Iran had sent an “appropriate response” to Mr. Trump’s letter through its intermediaries in Oman.
Since retaking the White House in January, Mr. Trump has instituted a “maximum pressure” campaign against the Islamic Republic. The new campaign slaps a host of new sanctions on Iran, targeting new sectors of the nation’s economy.
During his first term, Mr. Trump withdrew the U.S. from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, which relieved sanctions pressure in exchange for severe limits on Iran’s nuclear industry. Iran has long insisted that its nuclear program is purely for commercial or civilian use. However, nuclear watchdogs have pointed out that Iran’s level of uranium enrichment is far greater than what would be necessary for civilian use.
