Mattis: Trump's message indicates Iran is on the wrong path

One day after Donald Trump's threatening tweet against Iran, the U.S. Secretary of Defense stated that Trump intended to show that the Islamic Republic is on the "wrong path." According to the Washington newspaper "The Hill," James Mattis said on Tuesday, August 2, in a speech at the conservative Hoover Institution at Stanford University in California, emphasizing Iran's "destabilizing influence" in the region, that in his opinion, "President Trump [with his tweet] was clearly indicating that they [Iran] are moving in the wrong direction." On August 1, in response to remarks by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, who warned the U.S. not to "play with the lion's tail," Trump tweeted a warning to Rouhani: "Never threaten the United States again or you will face consequences the likes of which few throughout history have ever faced." However, one day after this tweet, Trump stated that the U.S. is ready to reach a "real agreement" with Iran. The U.S. Secretary of Defense also said on Tuesday that it is time for Iran to be "responsible" and, referring to the Islamic Republic's support for Bashar al-Assad in Syria and the Houthis in Yemen, stated: "[Iran] cannot continue this irresponsibility like a revolutionary organization and engage in the export of terrorism and disruption throughout the region." Iran and the U.S. have repeatedly threatened each other in recent times. Previously, Islamic Republic officials had mentioned the possibility of "closing the Strait of Hormuz" in response to the U.S. withdrawal from the JCPOA and the efforts to reinstate sanctions against Iran. In this regard, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, on July 30, referred to Rouhani's implicit remarks on this matter as "words indicative of the policy and approach of the system." Following these threats, Mike Pompeo, the U.S. Secretary of State, stated that Iran "must know that the U.S. is committed to keeping sea routes open and continuing the flow of oil for the entire world." Rebecca Rebarich, a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Defense, also told "The Hill" on August 1 that U.S. forces are fully capable of defending themselves if necessary. However, Bahram Qasemi, the spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry, reiterated on August 2 that if the U.S. seeks to stop Iran's oil exports, it will face "retaliation" from Iran. The first round of U.S. sanctions against Iran will be implemented in less than two weeks, and by the time all unilateral U.S. sanctions against the Islamic Republic return on November 4 of this year, the U.S. is determined to bring Iran's oil exports to zero.