Trump's Warning to Rouhani: Never Threaten America Again

Donald Trump, the President of the United States, reacted to Hassan Rouhani's statements describing 'war with Iran as the mother of all wars and peace with Iran as the mother of all peace' by warning him to 'never threaten America again.' Iran has not yet officially responded to this stance. Early on Monday, July 23, Tehran time, Trump warned Rouhani on Twitter about the 'consequences of threatening' the United States. In a post largely written in capital letters, Trump stated, 'To the President of Iran, Rouhani: Never ever threaten the United States again or you will face consequences the likes of which few throughout history have ever faced before.' The U.S. President added, 'We are no longer a country that will put up with your madman's words of violence and death. Be careful.' This tweet came a day after Rouhani warned that 'enemies must understand well that war with Iran is the mother of all wars and peace with Iran is the mother of all peace, and we have never feared threats and will respond to threats with threats.' In a speech on July 22, the Iranian President accused the U.S. of pursuing goals beyond sanctions through its policy of sanctions against Iran. These statements and warnings come amid a new wave of tensions between Iran and the U.S. The Trump administration has withdrawn from the nuclear deal and accused Iran of engaging in terrorist activities, destabilizing actions, developing its missile program, supporting militias in the Middle East, and other 'destructive' actions. The U.S. government claims it seeks 'behavior change' from the Iranian regime and will apply 'maximum pressure' to achieve this. Washington aims to reduce Iran's oil exports to the lowest possible level or even to zero. Tehran officials have reacted, and among these reactions, the issue of 'closing the Strait of Hormuz' has been raised again. Notably, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, on Saturday, July 21, referred to Rouhani's implicit remarks on this matter as 'words indicative of the system's policy and approach.' Mike Pompeo, the U.S. Secretary of State, regarding Iran's threat to close the Strait of Hormuz, stated that Iran 'must know that the U.S. is committed to keeping sea routes open and ensuring the flow of oil for the entire world.' Analysts view the Strait of Hormuz as a critical battleground; a tacit retreat just a day after Khamenei's directive; the intersection of Khamenei and Rouhani at Trump's station. Pompeo, hours before Trump's tweet, criticized the Iranian officials, corruption in the Iranian government, 'support for terrorism,' funding groups like Hezbollah, repression, and human rights violations in Iran during a speech to a group of Iranian-Americans. Pompeo emphasized that changes in Iran are ultimately in the hands of the Iranian people, but the U.S. supports the voices of freedom-seekers in Iran. Tehran has denied supporting terrorism, claims its missile program is defensive, and accuses the U.S. of ignoring its commitments. In another part of his speech in California, referring to the dialogue between U.S. and North Korean leaders, Pompeo stated that Trump has always emphasized that he is willing to engage with Tehran if there is a tangible change in the Iranian regime's behavior. So far, Iranian officials have not been willing to negotiate with the Trump administration.