Iran's supreme leader warned a regional conflict could unfold if the United States attacks his country as frantic diplomatic talks in the region sought to lower the temperature between Tehran and Washington.
PresidentDonald Trumphas been ratcheting up his threats against the Middle Eastern nation over the past several weeks, floating military action in response to Iran's violent crackdown on protesters in January. He has stopped short of intervening but has since demanded Iran make nuclear concessions anddeployed an increased U.S. military presencenear the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf.
"We are not the initiators and do not want to attack any country, but the Iranian nation will strike a strong blow against anyone who attacks and harasses them," Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Feb. 1, according to state-run media.
The Iranian supreme leader was quoted as saying that if the United States starts a war, "this time it will be a regional war."
Trump, Netanyahu meet at Mar-a-Lago to talk Iran, Gaza
Tensions have escalated between the two nations as Trump and Iranian leaders trade barbs, prompting diplomatic talks in the region involving Turkey, Saudi Arabia and other regional and Persian Gulf nations. Trump appeared to pivot from threatening U.S. military might over Iran'scrackdown on anti-government protestersin late January afterhe said Tehran assured himit would halt executions of protesters.
The Human Rights Activists News Agency, an organization that tracks the Iranian protest death toll, says it has verified more than 6,800 deaths since the unrest began in December.
Then, on Jan. 28,Trump unleashed new threats, warning in a social media post that Iran would face an "armada" of U.S. warships if it doesn't make a deal on nuclear weapons. The U.S. Navy has six destroyers, one aircraft carrier and three littoral combat ships in the region, according toReuters.
More:Trump threatens Iran with 'massive armada,' urging nuclear deal
In brief remarks Feb. 1 to reporters outside Mar-a-Lago in Florida, Trump responded to the Iranian supreme leader's remarks. He said the United States has "the biggest, most powerful ships in the world over there."
"Hopefully we'll make a deal," Trump said. "If we don't make a deal, then we'll find out whether or not he was right."
Ali Larijani, head of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, said on social media Jan. 31 that "structural arrangements" for negotiations between the United States and Iran were moving forward.
Last year, the United States struck several Iranian nuclear targets on the heels of a 12-day Israeli bombing campaign against Iran. Since then, Tehran has said it has halted its uranium enrichment. Iran has long said its nuclear program is peaceful and has denied aiming to develop nuclear weapons. A Pentagon assessment found that the June strike set the program back a few months, according to a reportby USA TODAY.
Trump pulled out of an international nuclear accord with Tehran during his first term in 2018, calling the 2015 agreement"horrible, one-sided"and arguing it did not block Iran from developing nuclear weapons.
In the agreement, called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, Iran agreed to dismantle much of its nuclear program and open its facilities to more international oversight in exchange for sanctions relief. President Barack Obama's administration negotiated the deal, which was unpopular among many Republicans.
Kathryn Palmer is a politics reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach her atkapalmer@usatoday.comand on X @KathrynPlmr. Sign up for her daily politics newsletterhere.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Iran warns of war amid Trump nuclear deal threats
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