Trump: ‘If Iran wants to fight, that will be the official end of Iran’
US president accused of sending 'genocidal taunts' as war of words escalate tensions between the two countries
President Donald Trump has escalated the war of words with Iran via Twitter.
“If Iran wants to fight, that will be the official end of Iran. Never threaten the United States again,” Trump tweeted Sunday.
The tweet came days after the State Department ordered all non-emergency personnel from its embassy in Iraq over fears that Iran-allied militia groups could target Americans in Iraq. The U.S. also deployed an aircraft carrier and strike group to the Strait of Hormuz due to threats.
The commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guard Corps, Maj.-Gen. Hossein Salam, responded to Trump’s tweet.
“Iran is not looking for any type of war, but it is fully prepared to defend itself,” he said Sunday, according to the country’s state-run Islamic Republic News Agency.
Meanwhile, the Iranian foreign minister, Javad Zarif warned Trump his “genocidal taunts won’t “end Iran”.”
On Sunday in Iraq, a Katyusha rocket was fired into the centre of Baghdad’s Green Zone, where the U.S. Embassy is located, but did not cause any damage. The rocket was believed to have been fired from the eastern part of the capital city, where Iran-backed Shiite militias are based.
On Monday, news agencies in Iran reported that the Islamic Republic had dramatically increased its production of low-enriched uranium that soon will bypass the limit set by the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. Iran said it has informed the International Atomic Energy Agency of the decision to increase its production.
Last week, on the one-year anniversary of the U.S. leaving the pact, Iran announced that it would partially withdraw and set a 60-day deadline for the world powers still in the agreement to set new terms, including easing restrictions on Iran’s banking and oil sectors. If the powers fail to meet the deadline, Iran has threatened to remove caps on uranium enrichment levels and resume work on its Arak nuclear facility.
The 2015 deal traded sanctions relief for a rollback in Iran’s nuclear program.
If Iran wants to fight, that will be the official end of Iran. Never threaten the United States again!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 19, 2019
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
