Iran has warned that it will deliver a “severe and regret-inducing” response to any new attack by the United States after President Donald Trump said he would support further strikes if Tehran attempts to rebuild its nuclear or missile programmes.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian issued the warning on Tuesday in a statement on X, one day after Trump met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.
Highlights
- Iran warns of a severe and regret-inducing response to any new U.S. attack on its nuclear or missile programs.
- Trump supports strikes on Iran if it rebuilds nuclear or missile facilities, pledging immediate and strong action.
- Iran denies pursuing nuclear weapons and rejects negotiations on its missile program amid rising international pressure.
Pezeshkian wrote that “the response of the Islamic Republic of Iran to any unjust aggression will be severe and regret-inducing,” signalling that Tehran will not hesitate to retaliate if it feels threatened.
Iran has warned that it will deliver a "severe" response to any new attack by the U.S.
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At Mar-a-Lago, Trump stood next to Netanyahu and told reporters he would endorse an Israeli strike on Iran’s nuclear and missile facilities. “Now I hear that Iran is trying to build up again, and if they are, we’re going to have to knock them down,” Trump said. “We’ll knock the hell out of them.”
He added that the United States would act “immediately” and support strikes on Iran’s nuclear programme and on its missile facilities if Tehran continues developing long-range weapons.
Israeli officials have recently voiced concerns that Iran is quietly restoring parts of its missile stockpile at new sites. Trump echoed the claims, saying that Iran is moving to expand its missile programme, but did not provide evidence.
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“If they will continue with the missiles, yes. The nuclear? Fast. OK? One will be: Yes, absolutely. The other is: We’ll do it immediately," Trump said.
He added that if Iran was trying to build up its nuclear programme again, “we’re going to have no choice but very quickly to eradicate that buildup."
Trump said that the consequences of such a move could be “more powerful than the last time”.
“We know exactly where they’re going, what they’re doing, and I hope they’re not doing it, because we don’t want to waste fuel on a B-2,” Trump said, referring to the bomber used in an earlier strike in June. “It’s a 37-hour trip both ways. I don’t want to waste a lot of fuel.”
The standoff follows the 12-day war in June, when U.S. and Israeli strikes targeted Iranian nuclear facilities, including Fordo, Natanz, and Isfahan. Trump said those strikes “obliterated” Iran’s programme, but experts have disputed it, saying Iran might have hidden stockpiles.
The June war saw Israel launch nearly 360 strikes across 27 Iranian provinces over 12 days, according to conflict monitoring group ACLED. Iran reacted by firing more than 500 missiles at Israel during the conflict, and one at an American military base in Qatar.
U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham, a close ally of Trump, visited Israel this month and warned that Iran is producing long-range missiles “in very high numbers.”
Trump met Netanyahu over the weekend and claimed Iran is expanding its missile programme
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“We cannot allow Iran to produce ballistic missiles because they could overwhelm the Iron Dome,” he told The Jerusalem Post, referring to Israel’s air defence system. “It’s a major threat.”
Iranian officials insist their nuclear activity is for civilian use and deny pursuing a weapon. They have also ruled out negotiations on their missile programme.
Ali Shamkhani, a senior adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was the first to respond to Trump’s remarks. He warned that “any act of aggression will face a harsh and immediate response.”
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He added that Iran’s missile and defensive capabilities “are neither containable nor in need of anyone’s permission.”
The earlier conflict killed more than 1,100 Iranians and 28 Israelis.
Trump recommended that Iran “make a deal” with the U.S. on Monday. “If they want to make a deal, that’s much smarter,” Trump said. “You know, they could have made a deal the last time, before we went through a big attack on them, and they decided not to make the deal. They wish they made that deal.”