Washington (TDI): US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he hopes military action against Iran can be avoided, while Tehran has warned it could strike American bases and aircraft carriers in retaliation for any attack.
Speaking at the premiere of a documentary about First Lady Melania Trump, the president said he has been in talks with Iran and is planning further discussions. “We have a group heading to Iran, and hopefully we won’t need to use it,” Trump said, leaving the door open for diplomacy.
Earlier this week, the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged renewed nuclear talks to prevent a regional crisis with potentially devastating consequences.
Iran’s military, however, signaled a strong response if provoked. Brigadier General Mohammad Akraminia warned that any American action would be met decisively, not limited like last June when US forces briefly supported Israel in its short conflict with Iran. He highlighted the vulnerabilities of US aircraft carriers and bases across the Gulf, which fall within range of Iran’s medium-range missiles.
Read More: Trump Weighs Military Strikes on Iran as Tensions Edge Toward Escalation
Officials in the Gulf region, home to several US military sites, said fears of a US strike remain high. Efforts to ease tensions are underway. Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani held a call with Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian to discuss stability and de-escalation, according to QNA.
Meanwhile, the European Union officially labeled Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) a “terrorist organization” in response to its violent suppression of recent mass protests. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen praised the move, saying, “It is fitting to call out a regime that crushes its own people’s protests in blood.” Tehran denounced the decision, accusing the EU of acting in alignment with the US and Israel.
The recent wave of protests, triggered by economic grievances, has been blamed by Iranian officials on foreign interference, which they claim fueled riots and violence.
Read More: Iran Warns US and Israel Amid Trump’s Claim of Possible Talks
Trump’s initial threats focused on potential violence against protesters, but his recent remarks have shifted to Iran’s nuclear ambitions. On Wednesday, he warned that “time is running out” for a deal and said the US naval strike group stationed in the Middle East is “ready, willing, and able” to take action if necessary.
Iran acknowledges that thousands died during the protests, but claims most were security personnel or bystanders caught in the unrest. Government posters and billboards in Tehran have reinforced state messaging, including images of an American aircraft carrier being destroyed.
