US President Donald Trump has said the world would soon discover whether Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s warning of sparking a regional war in the Middle East was true or not, adding that there was still time left to make a deal. Although both nations have engaged in heated verbal exchanges, high-level talks continue behind the scenes amid escalating tensions.
The remarks come weeks after Trump deployed what he described as a ‘big and beautiful armada’—led by the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, along with destroyers and frigate patrol craft—in the Gulf to pressurise Tehran.
On Sunday, during the anniversary of 1979 Islamic Revolution, Khamenei warned that any military action against Iran would have consequences extending beyond its borders.
“They should know that if they start a war this time, it will be a regional war,” Khamenei said. He further accused Washington of seeking to “devour” Iran and seize its oil as well as natural gas resources.
When asked about the warning, Trump dismissed the remarks but left the door open for both diplomacy and force. “Of course he is going to say that,” Trump said, adding, “Hopefully, we’ll make a deal. If we don’t make a deal, then we’ll find out whether or not he was right.”
The latest escalation follows repeated criticism by Trump of Iranian leaders for mishandling unrest and intentionally killing protesters, while Tehran has labelled the violent demonstrations a foreign-sponsored conspiracy.
Iranian authorities have blamed the violence on ‘terrorists’ supported by the United States and Israel, using the claim to justify a potential military response. Iran’s Supreme National Security Council head, Ali Larijani, who held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin on Friday, said progress was being made towards negotiations.
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