TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tuesday that Iran would respond harshly to attacks, appearing to respond to U.S. President Donald Trump’s warnings about rebuilding Iran’s nuclear program.
“The response of the Islamic Republic of Iran to any brutal aggression will be harsh and disheartening,” Pezeshkian said on social media platform X.
Pezeshkian did not elaborate, but his statement came a day after Trump suggested the United States could launch a military strike if Iran attempts to rebuild its nuclear program. Trump made the remarks during wide-ranging talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.
“Now I’m hearing that Iran is trying to rise again,” Trump said at a news conference after his meeting with Netanyahu. “If they are, we’re going to have to knock them down. We’re going to knock them down. We’re going to knock them down. But hopefully that doesn’t happen.”
A 12-day air war in June killed nearly 1,100 Iranians, including senior military commanders and scientists. Months later, the two leaders discussed the possibility of renewed military action against Tehran. Iran’s retaliatory missile attack killed 28 people in Israel.
Trump said on Monday he could order another U.S. strike against Iran.
“If confirmed, they know the consequences, and they will be very serious, maybe more serious than last time,” Trump said.
Pezeshkian said on Saturday that tensions between the two sides had increased.
“We are in an all-out war with the United States, Israel and Europe; they don’t want stability in our country,” he said.
Iran insists it no longer enriches uranium anywhere in the country, seeking to signal to the West that it remains open to potential negotiations over its atomic program.
U.S. intelligence agencies and the International Atomic Energy Agency last assessed Iran’s organized nuclear weapons program in 2003, even though Tehran has been enriching uranium to 60 percent, just shy of the weapons-grade level of 90 percent.
Meanwhile, some of the largest protests in three years entered a third day after the country’s currency plummeted to a record low against the dollar. The central bank governor resigned on Monday.
Rallies were held in Tehran and other towns, according to witnesses and videos on social media. Police fired tear gas in some places. Near a market in central Tehran, video showed people fighting off police and security forces and throwing rocks at them.
Witnesses said university students also rallied on the campuses of the University of Tehran and other major universities.
According to media reports, Pezeshkian met with a group of businessmen to hear their demands.
“The government will spare no effort to solve the problem and improve social conditions,” Pezeshkian said, assigning Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni to hold talks with protesters.
The head of the country’s tax department, Mohammad Hadi Sobanian, also said that the government will modify tax arrangements that are beneficial to businesses and eliminate penalties for late tax payments.
The government announced the closure of offices and banks on Wednesday to manage winter energy consumption, followed by holidays on Thursday and Friday. Saturday is also a religious holiday in the country.
