Trump is talking about a deal with Iran to avoid escalation
US President Donald Trump on Sunday expressed hope for a deal with Iran after Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned that any attack on the Islamic Republic would trigger a regional war.
Trump has been threatening military action against Tehran for weeks over a bloody crackdown on protests that has killed thousands.
Washington has beefed up its forces in the Middle East and sent the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln to the region.
The reinforcements have raised fears among regional countries that a war could worsen the situation in the region, and a number of them have acted as mediators between Washington and Tehran.
In a high-pitched warning, Khamenei said that “the Americans should realize that if they start a war, it will be a regional war”.
Khamenei, who has led Iran since 1989 and has the final say on top policies, added, “We’re not the ones who start wars… We don’t seek to attack any country, but in the face of those who beg to attack or inflict harm, the Iranian people will deal a severe blow to them”.
Asked by reporters about Khamenei’s warning, Trump replied: “Of course he will say so… We hope we can reach an agreement… If we don’t reach an agreement, then we will find out if it’s right or not”.
Oil prices fell more than 3% on Monday during the first trading sessions in the Asian market after Trump’s remarks in favor of a deal with Iran.
The United States previously bombed Iran during the 12-day war between Iran and Israel in June.
Over the past few days, Iranian officials have warned of an immediate and forceful response to any military action against Tehran.
The escalation of tensions follows widespread protests in Iran since late December, which authorities have confronted with a violent crackdown that has killed thousands.
Khamenei described the wave of protests, which erupted against the backdrop of economic demands and gradually expanded into a political character, as akin to an attempt at a coup.
Khamenei said during a meeting at his headquarters in the Iranian capital that “the protesters attacked the police, government buildings, the Revolutionary Guards barracks, banks and mosques, and burned the Quran… It was a real coup,” he said, adding that the attempt failed”.
“This wasn’t the first sedition in Tehran, and it won’t be the last… Such incidents may be repeated”.
Against the backdrop of the demonstrations and their repression, Iran is under international pressure and a threat from the United States, despite statements that a diplomatic solution is preferred.
