TOI correspondent from Washington: US President Donald Trump threatened to fire “1000 missiles” at Iran and “totally devastate and destroy” the country if Tehran attempted to assassinate him, dramatically raising the temperature in the confrontation, which in a matter of days turned from a tentative understanding to renewed military exchanges and mutual accusations of betrayal.“1000 missiles are locked and loaded and aimed at the Islamic Republic of Iran, with thousands more to follow immediately, should the Iranian government act on its threat to assassinate me…!” Trump wrote on social media. “Orders have already been given, and the U.S. military is ready, willing, and able to completely destroy and annihilate all areas of Iran.”The extraordinary warning came as Washington and Tehran appeared to be returning to square one, trading sharp rhetoric and even heated missile strikes despite recently reaching a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to halt hostilities and safeguard maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz (SOH).Trump’s assassination allegation is based on a long-standing US belief that Iran wants to avenge the US killing of Iranian Revolutionary Guard commander Qassem Soleimani in 2020. US prosecutors and intelligence officials have previously alleged that actors linked to Iran conspired against former US officials associated with the operation.Yet it is difficult to publicly assess the immediate credibility of an active Iranian plot against the sitting US president. Analysts say that while Tehran has repeatedly vowed revenge, an actual assassination attempt against Trump would certainly invite heavy US retaliation and could threaten the Islamic Republic’s existence.This has not stopped Iranian rhetoric from hardening. Following reports of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s death, Iran’s leadership was quoted in a statement as saying: “Revenge for Iran’s martyred leader is our country’s demand, and it will definitely be fulfilled. These criminals, whose entire chain of command – from top to bottom – is known, will take to their graves their wish to die a peaceful death in their bed.“Meanwhile, the gap between the two sides appears to be arising from their markedly different interpretations of Paragraph 5 of the MoU. According to reports, Iran believes the agreement gives it the right to manage the SoH shipping corridor for 60 days. However, the Trump administration quietly supported an alternative route along the coast of Oman that bypassed Iranian supervision.Tehran reportedly fired warning shots at a ship using the new corridor. Washington interpreted the incident as interference with freedom of navigation and used it to justify renewed military strikes against Iranian targets.The dispute underscores a deep disagreement that has dogged U.S.-Iran diplomacy for decades: Iran wants recognition of its regional security role, while Washington is unwilling to concede strategic control over one of the world’s most important maritime chokepoints.According to Axios and other US media reports, the Trump administration now wants Tehran to publicly declare that all routes to the strait are open and tankers will no longer be targeted. Iran’s response so far has been promises of revenge rather than assurances, threatening another US-Iran understanding breakdown under the weight of ambiguity, distrust and competing interpretations.Referring to the agreement reached with the help of Pakistani and Qatari mediation, Tehran’s UN ambassador said in comments in New York on Friday that, “If the United States continues to violate its obligations under the Islamabad agreement, Iran will no longer consider itself bound by its commitments under that understanding”, according to a statement carried by state broadcaster IRIB.
Do you believe President Trump’s threat of military action against Iran is justified?
3k+ users shared opinion today
Today 5k+ users have already voted
3k+ users shared opinion today
share opinion