Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed to respond to any attacks against Iran, following threats by U.S President Donald Trump.
The comments come as Tehran rejected direct negotiations with the United States in response to a letter from Trump over its rapidly advancing nuclear program.
Trump’s overture comes as both Israel and the United States have warned they will never let Iran acquire a nuclear weapon, leading to fears of a military confrontation as Tehran enriches uranium at near weapons-grade levels — something only done by atomic-armed nations.
During Trump’s first term, the U.S. unilaterally exited a 2015 nuclear agreemeent signed and reinstated sanctions on Tehran leading to the deal’s collapse.
Iran has long maintained its program is for peaceful purposes, even as its officials increasingly threaten to pursue the bomb as tensions are high with the U.S. over its sanctions and after the collapse of a ceasefire in Israel’s war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
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