Trump warns Iran: US-Iran relations have again hogged the limelight with Donald Trump assuming the presidency. In a fresh warning to Iran, Trump said that the Islamic Republic would be 'obliterated' if he were 'assassinated' by Tehran. The warning came after Trump signed an executive order calling for the US government to impose maximum pressure on Tehran on Tuesday. While the US President hinted that the doors are open for talks, some factions within Iran's theocracy are still likely to oppose talks.
Here's what Trump said
"If they did that they would be obliterated," Trump said. The department in its allegations said that the Iranian officials had instructed Farhad Shakeri, 51, in September to focus on surveilling and ultimately assassinating Trump. Shakeri is still at large in Iran.
US-Iran relations plummeted to a new low in 2020 following the assassination of Qassem Soleimani, the country's top general and a revered figure. Following Soleimani's killing, the calls for Trump's assassination intensified in Iran. In November, the Justice Department disclosed an Iranian murder-for-hire plot to kill Trump.
Notably, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has the final say on all state matters, in a speech in September opened the door to talks with the US, saying there is “no harm” in engaging with the “enemy.”
Iran welcomes recent decisions by US
Iran's government seems to be welcoming some recent decisions by the United States — even though they happen to come from a man Iranian operatives have allegedly been plotting to assassinate.
President Donald Trump's moves to freeze spending on foreign aid and overhaul, maybe even end, the US Agency for International Development has been lauded in Iranian state media.
The reports say the decisions will halt funding for opponents of the country's Shiite theocracy — pro-democracy activists and others supported through programs as part of the US government's efforts to help democracy worldwide.
(With AP inputs)
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