This week, Tehran sent a stark warning as an adviser to Iran’s supreme leader asserted that the country may seek nuclear weapons if attacked by the US or its allies. This statement came after US President Donald Trump threatened to bomb Iran if it did not agree to a nuclear deal.
While speaking to Iranian state TV, Ali Larijani, an adviser to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said that while Iran was not pursuing nuclear weapons, an attack would leave it with no choice but to defend itself. He added, “We are not moving towards (nuclear) weapons, but if you do something wrong in the Iranian nuclear issue, you will force Iran to move towards that because it has to defend itself.” Larijani further added, “Iran does not want to do this, but… (it) will have no choice.”
Iran would have to reconsider its stance if the US or Israel launched an attack. Larijani said, “If at some point you (the US) move towards bombing by yourself or through Israel, you will force Iran to make a different decision.”
A War of Words
Trump threatened Iran last Saturday by saying “there will be bombing” if Iran did not agree to a nuclear deal. The statement was clear that if Iran does not come to the negotiating table, it has to face an attack.
Ayatollah Khamenei also responded to Trump’s threat in a speech, saying, “They threaten to do mischief. If it is carried out, they will definitely receive a strong counterattack.” Iran’s UN ambassador, Amir Saeid Iravani, also sent a letter to the UN Security Council condemning what he described as “warmongering provocations.” He warned that Iran would “respond swiftly and decisively to any act of aggression or attack by the United States or its proxy, the Israeli regime.”
Previously, Iran released a video of an underground ‘missile city’ with hundreds of missiles to showcase its military strength. It was a direct reply to the US threat. General Amirali Hajizadeh, a senior commander in Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, pointed to the presence of American bases and troops in the region. He cautioned, “The Americans have at least 10 bases in the region around Iran, and they have 50,000 troops.” He added, “Someone who is in a glass room shouldn’t throw stones at anyone.”
Also Read: Iran takes aim at US military base, Diego Garcia
The Iranian military has called for a preemptive strike on Diego Garcia island, located about 1,100 miles south of India in the Indian Ocean, where strategic bombers have been stationed. It is a strategically important location for the US to have control over West Asia. The threat is an effort to deter President Donald Trump from using the base to attack the Islamic Republic.
Trump, Iran Nuclear Deal
Since assuming office in January, Trump has resumed his “maximum pressure” policy. In his first term, he pulled the US out of the 2015 nuclear deal, which compelled Iran to curb its nuclear operations in exchange for sanctions relief. Western countries, particularly the United States, have long accused Iran of attempting to create nuclear weapons, despite Tehran’s insistence that its nuclear program is for peaceful reasons.
The 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and international powers required Iran to curb its nuclear production in exchange for sanctions relief. Iran has long maintained that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes. However, its authorities have increasingly hinted at the potential of developing nuclear weapons. Iran is presently enriching uranium to 60% purity, which is close to weapons-grade, making it the only country without a declared nuclear weapons program doing so.
Under the 2015 nuclear agreement, Iran was limited to enriching uranium up to 3.67 % purity and keeping a stockpile of no more than 300 kilograms (661 pounds). According to the most recent International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) estimate, Iran’s uranium stockpile has reached 8,294.4 kilograms (18,286 pounds), with a portion of it enriched to 60%.
Trump wants peace all around the world, but when it comes to West Asia, his actions have been aggressive. First, Trump attacked Houthis in Yemen and showed an aggressive stance on Iran’s nuclear programme. Trump was even ready to attack Iran militarily in order to bring Iran to the table for negotiation. At the same time, Iran is also not ready to bend down and retaliate in the same language. The situation in West Asia is already delicate, and any provocation from any side may cause another war in the region.
