Speaking on Tuesday, President Pezeshkian said the Islamic Republic would deliver a “severe and deterrent” response to any hostile action. He made the remarks in a post on the social media platform X, without providing further details.
His comments followed a warning issued by President Trump a day earlier, during talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida. Trump suggested that the United States could launch military strikes if Iran attempts to revive its nuclear program.
Trump told reporters that Washington would not tolerate Iran rebuilding its nuclear capabilities and said any such move would be met with overwhelming force. He added that he hoped such action would not be necessary.
The discussion between Trump and Netanyahu came only months after a 12-day air conflict in June, which reportedly left nearly 1,100 people dead in Iran, including senior military officials and nuclear scientists. Iran responded at the time with missile attacks on Israel that killed 28 people.
Trump later indicated that another U.S. strike against Iran remains a possibility, warning that any confirmed nuclear activity would trigger consequences even stronger than previous actions.
Pezeshkian said over the weekend that tensions have already escalated sharply, accusing the United States, Israel and European countries of trying to destabilize Iran. At the same time, Tehran has maintained that it is no longer enriching uranium and has expressed willingness to engage in negotiations over its nuclear program.
At least 7 killed as economic protests spread across Iran
According to U.S. intelligence agencies and the International Atomic Energy Agency, Iran last operated an organized nuclear weapons program in 2003, though it has enriched uranium to levels close to weapons-grade in recent years.
Meanwhile, Iran is facing its largest protests in three years as the national currency fell to a historic low against the U.S. dollar. Demonstrations continued for a third day in Tehran and other cities, with police using tear gas in some areas. University students also staged protests on major campuses.
President Pezeshkian met with business leaders and promised efforts to address economic challenges. The government announced policy changes to support businesses, along with temporary closures of offices and banks to manage winter energy consumption.
Source: AP