After Iranian President Hassan Rouhani referred to the White House as “mentally handicapped” on Tuesday, US President Donald Trump warned that parts of Iran would be obliterated if Tehran carried out an attack “on anything American.”
Last week Trump cancelled strikes on Iranian targets in retaliation for the downing of a US drone and for recent attacks on two oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman. Instead, the US launched cyberattacks on Iranian military systems. Earlier this week, Trump increased sanctions on Iran, while also indicating that he was still willing to negotiate. However, Iran slammed the sanctions, saying that the US was “closing (the) channel of diplomacy forever.”
US-Iran relations have been deteriorating ever since the United States pulled out of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal last year. The situation further escalated in recent weeks, fueling global worries about a military conflict between the two countries. Iran on Tuesday announced that it will continue to reduce its commitments under the agreement and will increase the speed at which it is enriching uranium after Thursday.
Read more: Trump Threatens ‘Obliteration’ of Iran, as Sanctions Dispute Escalates
