Iran has warned it would defend itself and “respond like never before” if pushed after Donald Trump threatened a military attack with a “massive armada” moving toward the region.
Writing on social media, the US president said “time is running out” for Iran to negotiate a deal on its nuclear programme. A large fleet, led by the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier, was on its way to the country, he said.
In response to the post, Iran’s mission to the UN said: “Iran stands ready for dialogue based on mutual respect and interests—BUT IF PUSHED, IT WILL DEFEND ITSELF AND RESPOND LIKE NEVER BEFORE!”
Mr Trump’s latest threat toward Tehran comes after he had promised intervention over the crackdown on anti-government demonstrations in the country this month. However, his latest comments appear to only focus on the country’s nuclear programme.
The US launched strikes on Iranian nuclear sites last year.
In his post on social media on Wednesday, Mr Trump said: “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.”
He added: “The next attack will be far worse! Don’t make that happen again.”
‘Don’t take us to a hospital’: Iran protesters treated in secret to avoid arrest
Injured protesters in Iran are being treated in private homes and makeshift clinics rather than hospitals, amid fears of arrest and surveillance by security forces, according to a report.
Protesters and medical workers said hospitals were being closely monitored, with security forces checking medical records to identify people wounded during demonstrations. Some injured protesters said they actively refused hospital treatment despite severe injuries, the BBC reported.
One protester, identified as Tara, said she and a friend were shot with birdshot during a protest in the central city of Isfahan and hid overnight in a stranger’s home before finding a doctor willing to treat them privately.
“Don’t take us to a hospital,” she said, describing fears of arrest.
Doctors and nurses said they were treating patients secretly at home, often without payment, and avoiding references to gunshot wounds in medical records.
China warns against ‘military adventurism’ targeting Iran
China’s ambassador to the United Nations has warned against the use of force against Iran, saying military action would only deepen instability in the Middle East.
Speaking at an open debate of the UN Security Council, Fu Cong, China’s permanent representative to the UN, said: “The use of force cannot solve problems. Any acts of military adventurism will only push the region into an abyss of unpredictability.”
Mr Fu warned against external interference, as tensions in the region continue to rise amid Donald Trump’s threat that “time is running out”.
“China hopes that the United States and other relevant parties will heed the call of the international community and regional countries, do more things that are conducive to peace and stability in the Middle East, and avoid exacerbating tensions and adding fuel to the fire,” he said.
Mr Fu stressed that Iran was an independent sovereign state and that its future should be determined by its own people, adding that China supported Iran’s “sovereignty, security and territorial integrity.”
He also urged all parties to uphold the principles of the UN Charter and reject the use or threat of force in international relations.
“The Middle East belongs to the people in the region. It is not a wrestling ground for major power rivalry,” Mr Fu said.
China, he added, was ready to work with the international community to promote peace and stability across the region.
Rubio says build up in the Middle East ‘defensive’ against weakened regime
Secretary of state Marco Rubio said on Wednesday that the buildup of US vessels in the Middle East reflects Washington’s “ability to posture assets in the Middle East to defend against what could be an Iranian threat”.
He spoke after saying that the regime appeared the weakest its ever been.
Comment: Iran’s dead are piling up in the streets – so why has the West been silent?
A month after Tehran erupted in protests, the regime’s deadly crackdown continues to claim victims.
But, says Donald Macintyre, perhaps the world will finally take notice now that Donald Trump’s ‘massive armada’ has arrived in the Middle East:
Iran’s days are numbered, warns Germany’s Merz
German chancellor Friedrich Merz joined in the American assessment that the Iranian regime’s “days are numbered” in comments on Wednesday as Trump ramped up his threats.
Speaking to reporters in Berlin, he said: “A regime that can only hold onto power through sheer violence and terror against its own population: its days are numbered.”
“It could be a matter of weeks, but this regime has no legitimacy to govern the country.”
He backed Italy’s push to have the EU designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) a terrorist organisation.
What’s happening in Iran?
Iran has been gripped since late December by nationwide protests and demonstrations that were sparked by the Islamic Republic’s ailing economy.
They have been putting new pressure on the theocracy that runs Iran and which has, in turn, responded with a deadly crackdown and shutting down the internet.
Rights groups say the overall death toll from the crackdown rose to at least 5,032 people, with more than 27,600 detained in a widening arrest campaign. The official Iranian death toll is far lower — only 3,117 dead.
Iranian officials signalled last week that suspects detained in the protests would face fast trials and executions while also promising a “decisive response” if the US or Israel intervened.
In numbers: The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier
The US navy calls it the “largest warship in the world”.
At 333m and with a displacement of 104,300 long tons, the USS Abraham Lincoln is a formidable vessel, currently heading for Iran.
An aircraft carrier, it is able to station 65 aircraft and multiple missile mounts, and can haul around 100,000 tones of equipment.
Its squadrons include the F-35 Lightning II fighter jet and the F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jets.
The ship can travel at up to 35 knots and hosts a crew of around 5,600 people.
Watch: Rubio Says Iranian Regime ‘Weaker Than Ever’ And Predicts Future Protests
What has the US sent to the Middle East?
Donald Trump said on Wednesday that “a massive Armada is heading to Iran”.
We learned on Monday that the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group had arrived in Centcom’s area of operations, bolstering Donald Trump’s range of actions.
Last Thursday, Trump said: “We have an armada … heading in that direction, and maybe we won’t have to use it.”
The Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) is joined by the Arleigh Burke-class destroyers USS Frank E Petersen, Jr (DDG-121), USS Spruance (DDG-111) and USS Michael Murphy (DDG-112).
More than 6,000 deaths confirmed in Iran while 17,000 still under investigation
The total number of confirmed deaths in the recent protests in Iran has reached 6,221, while 42,324 arrests have been made.
According to the latest data from US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), 5,858 of those confirmed dead were protestors, 100 were children, 214 were forces affiliated with the government, and 49 were non-protester civilians.
The number of severely injured individuals stands at 11,017 and another 11,026 people have been summoned to security institutions.
The group has reported that 17,091 deaths are still under investigation.
Source: independent.co.uk