Iran sent a letter overnight Thursday to Friday to U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres warning that it would “respond decisively” to any attack against it, saying that “bases, facilities and assets of the hostile force will be legitimate targets.” The Iranians criticized threats by U.S. President Donald Trump, arguing that they pose “a real risk of attack.”
In the letter to Guterres, Iran said it “will not initiate any war,” but stressed that the United States would bear “full and direct responsibility for all the unforeseen and uncontrollable consequences” resulting from an attack against it — and from Iran’s response.
The Iranian threat came after The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday that Trump is considering launching an initial limited military strike on Iran to compel it to meet his demands for a nuclear agreement. According to the report, the move is intended to pressure Tehran into reaching a deal without resorting to a large-scale assault that could trigger a significant response. Officials familiar with the matter who spoke to the Journal said that if approved, the strike could take place within days and would target military or government sites.
The report said that if Iran continues to refuse to meet Trump’s terms for halting uranium enrichment, the United States will respond with a broader attack on regime facilities, possibly even with the aim of toppling it.
The impasse in negotiations, which U.S. officials say is unlikely to be resolved, and the American military buildup near Iran have increased the likelihood of a strike. The Journal noted that in Iran there are already concerns over a deadline set by Trump after he said last year he would give Tehran two weeks to reach a nuclear deal — but days later B-2 bombers struck three nuclear sites in the country.
Trump addressed the negotiations with Iran at the inaugural meeting of the Board of Peace on Thursday. He said the talks were “good,” but emphasized that a “meaningful agreement” must be reached. “Over the years it has been proven that it is not easy to reach a meaningful agreement with Iran, and we must reach a meaningful agreement. Otherwise bad things will happen,” he said. In what appeared to be an ultimatum to Iran, he added: “We may have to take it one step further, and we may not have to. Maybe we’ll make a deal — you’ll probably find out in the next 10 days.”