US President Donald Trump while speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, on Thursday, January 22, reiterated that he has settled eight wars since returning to office.
Referring to Iran, Trump pointed to US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites last June and claimed they had “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear capacity. He further said that Tehran “does want to talk, and will talk”.
US President Donald Trump also mentioned US operations against ISIL (ISIS) in Syria, saying “many good things are happening,” and claimed that threats to Europe, the US and the Middle East “are really calming down”.
Why Have US President Donald Trump’s Fresh Warnings to Iran Raised Fears of Wider Conflict?
US President Donald Trump claimed that “Just one year ago, the world was actually on fire. A lot of people didn’t know about it.” Trump’s remarks at Davos came days after he repeated a warning that Iran would be wiped “off the face of this earth” if Tehran ever succeeded in assassinating him.
In the backdrop of escalating threats, Iran and the United States have both warned of large-scale conflict in the event of an assassination of either country’s leadership.
Trump further argued, “I have very firm instructions. Anything happens, they’re going to wipe them off the face of this earth,” in response to a question on Iran’s alleged threats against his life. Trump also said it was time to look for “new leadership in Iran.”
How Are Foreign Tensions and Internal Unrest Pushing Iran Into Crisis?
Earlier on Tuesday, January 22, Iranian General Abolfazl Shekarchi was quoted by Iranian state media as saying, “Trump knows that if a hand of aggression is extended toward our leader, we will not only sever that hand, and this is not a mere slogan. But we will set their world on fire and leave them no safe haven in the region,” Shekarchi added.
Trump had issued a similar warning to Iran a year ago after returning to the White House, when he told reporters, “if they do it, they get obliterated.”
Meanwhile, Iran has seen renewed unrest linked to major anti-government protests. Human rights groups are working to confirm the death toll, with the Human Rights Activists News Agency reporting more than 4,000 confirmed deaths.
Mass demonstrations began in December amid economic strain, with protests calling for relief as the national currency hit a new low under the leadership of the 86-year-old ayatollah, who has resisted democratic reforms for decades.
Some members of Iran’s diaspora have called for external intervention. Exiled Nobel Peace Prize winner Shirin Ebadi urged “highly targeted actions” against Iran’s supreme leader and commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
(With inputs from ANI)
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