Iran has placed its forces on high alert, warning neighboring countries that host American bases not to support potential US strikes, Reuters reported on Sunday, citing an official familiar with the matter.
The reported move follows a letter from US President Donald Trump to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei urging direct talks aimed at halting Tehran’s nuclear program. Trump has threatened a bombing campaign if a new deal is not reached.
Tehran, which denies seeking nuclear weapons, rejected the demand for direct talks. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi called the proposal “meaningless” and questioned its sincerity. “If you want negotiations, then what is the point of threatening?” he said.
According to Reuters, Tehran “has issued notices to Iraq, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Turkey and Bahrain,” warning that allowing American forces to use their airspace or territory would be considered an act of hostility. “Such an act will have severe consequences for them,” an unnamed official was quoted as saying.
The same source stated that Khamenei had ordered Iran’s armed forces to be placed on high alert.
In 2015, Tehran signed an UN-backed agreement to limit its nuclear activity in exchange for sanctions relief. Trump unilaterally withdrew from the deal in 2017 and reimposed restrictions as part of his “maximum pressure” campaign against Iran. The Islamic Republic responded by scaling back its compliance under the 2015 accord.
Iran remains open to indirect talks via Oman, according to Reuters. “Indirect talks offer a chance to evaluate Washington’s seriousness about a political solution,” the Iranian official said. Talks could begin soon if US signals are “genuine,” though the process may be “rocky,” the official added.
Araghchi said on Sunday that Iran wanted talks on “equal footing.” He described the US as “a party that constantly threatens to resort to force in violation of the UN Charter and that expresses contradictory positions from its various officials.”
Major General Hossein Salami, chief commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), warned on Saturday that the country was “ready for any war.”
Russia had earlier said that US threats to Iran were “unacceptable” and called for restraint.
Daily Telegraph New Zealand (DTNZ) is an independent news website, first published in October 2021. - where this article was sourced.
Tehran, which denies seeking nuclear weapons, rejected the demand for direct talks. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi called the proposal “meaningless” and questioned its sincerity. “If you want negotiations, then what is the point of threatening?” he said.
According to Reuters, Tehran “has issued notices to Iraq, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Turkey and Bahrain,” warning that allowing American forces to use their airspace or territory would be considered an act of hostility. “Such an act will have severe consequences for them,” an unnamed official was quoted as saying.
The same source stated that Khamenei had ordered Iran’s armed forces to be placed on high alert.
In 2015, Tehran signed an UN-backed agreement to limit its nuclear activity in exchange for sanctions relief. Trump unilaterally withdrew from the deal in 2017 and reimposed restrictions as part of his “maximum pressure” campaign against Iran. The Islamic Republic responded by scaling back its compliance under the 2015 accord.
Iran remains open to indirect talks via Oman, according to Reuters. “Indirect talks offer a chance to evaluate Washington’s seriousness about a political solution,” the Iranian official said. Talks could begin soon if US signals are “genuine,” though the process may be “rocky,” the official added.
Araghchi said on Sunday that Iran wanted talks on “equal footing.” He described the US as “a party that constantly threatens to resort to force in violation of the UN Charter and that expresses contradictory positions from its various officials.”
Major General Hossein Salami, chief commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), warned on Saturday that the country was “ready for any war.”
Russia had earlier said that US threats to Iran were “unacceptable” and called for restraint.
Daily Telegraph New Zealand (DTNZ) is an independent news website, first published in October 2021. - where this article was sourced.
6 comments:
Trump is this case is right. Iran should not be allowed nuclear weapons.
Iran's big problem in this context is that it can't defend its own air space let alone pose much of a threat to outsiders coming in through neighbouring air spaces. The only fighters/interceptors the Iranians have are some MiG29s, F1 Mirages, F4 Phantoms and F14 Tomcats, mostly old bangers. Their air-to-air missile arsenal is pretty uninspiring too.
Why should Iran not be allowed nuclear weapons Chuck? Without them, Israel is free to be as belligerent as they want, particularly when they also have the United States to bomb, fight and die for them.
Iran having a nuclear weapon would stabilise the region no end, even though a stable Middle East runs counter to Israel's goals of clearing out all of its competitors.
Eschaton, Iran should not be allowed nuclear weapons because it initiated an attack on Israel through its proxies, Hamas and Hezbollah. What evidence do you have of your claim of Israel's goal. Iran's and the terrorists it supports is to kill ever Jew in Israel.
Israel's problems in the Middle East are completely self-inflicted and are the inevitable and easily predictable consequence of Jews trying to establish a Jewish state in the region already occupied by non-Jews, and doing so primarily by force. In fact, many high level US diplomats and members of the Truman and Eisenhower administrations strongly warned against supporting the nascent Israelis for that very reason, that chaos would ensue and it would turn the Arab world against the US, both of which have been the outcome.
The biggest destabilising element in the Middle East is now and always has been the Israelis and their Greater Israel goal, but that is only the case because they have bought unconditional US support. If the US stopped writing a blank cheque to the Jews, they'd have to pull their heads in.
Eschaton, your comments are straight out of the Greens playbook.
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