War of words intensifies, Iran foreign minister tweets back at Donald Trump: 'BE CAUTIOUS!'
The war-of-words on Twitter between Iran and United States President Donald Trump saw no signs of abating, as Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Monday hit back at the latter, asking him to 'be cautious'.
This came after Trump earlier warned his Iranian counterpart, Hassan Rouhani, to "never ever threaten the US."
"COLOR US UNIMPRESSED: The world heard even harsher bluster a few months ago. And Iranians have heard them ?albeit more civilized ones?for 40 yrs. We?ve been around for millennia & seen fall of empires, incl our own, which lasted more than the life of some countries. BE CAUTIOUS!" Zarif tweeted.
COLOR US UNIMPRESSED: The world heard even harsher bluster a few months ago. And Iranians have heard them —albeit more civilized ones—for 40 yrs. We’ve been around for millennia & seen fall of empires, incl our own, which lasted more than the life of some countries. BE CAUTIOUS!
— Javad Zarif (@JZarif) July 23, 2018
On Monday, Trump had cautioned Rouhani to not threaten the United States.
"To Iranian President Rouhani: NEVER, EVER THREATEN THE UNITED STATES AGAIN OR YOU WILL SUFFER CONSEQUENCES THE LIKES OF WHICH FEW THROUGHOUT HISTORY HAVE EVER SUFFERED BEFORE. WE ARE NO LONGER A COUNTRY THAT WILL STAND FOR YOUR DEMENTED WORDS OF VIOLENCE & DEATH. BE CAUTIOUS!" he tweeted.
To Iranian President Rouhani: NEVER, EVER THREATEN THE UNITED STATES AGAIN OR YOU WILL SUFFER CONSEQUENCES THE LIKES OF WHICH FEW THROUGHOUT HISTORY HAVE EVER SUFFERED BEFORE. WE ARE NO LONGER A COUNTRY THAT WILL STAND FOR YOUR DEMENTED WORDS OF VIOLENCE & DEATH. BE CAUTIOUS!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 23, 2018
According to Iran's state-run news agency IRNA, while addressing diplomats in Tehran on Sunday, Rouhani said, "Americans must understand that war with Iran is the mother of all wars," reported CNN.
He, however, did not rule out the possibility of a peace agreement and said that "peace with Iran is the mother of all peace".
"Do not play with the lion's tail, because you will regret it eternally," Rouhani added.
These comments came after Trump in May announced the US' withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) or the Iran nuclear deal, which limited the country's uranium enrichment in exchange for sanctions relief.
Calling the accord as an "embarrassment" that was "defective at its core", the US President then warned of severe consequences if Iran resumed its nuclear programme.
The Iran nuclear deal was signed between six countries in 2015 - Iran, US, Britain, Germany, Russia, France, and China- for lifting economic sanctions on Tehran in exchange for limitations to the country's nuclear programme.