Warships can be sent to the seabed, Leader says in response to Trump’s threats
The Leader of the Islamic Revolution has responded to repeated US military threats against Iran, saying that the weapons that can sink the American carriers are "more dangerous" than the warships.
“The American president [Donald Trump] repeatedly says that their military is the strongest in the world. The strongest military in the world, however, can sometimes be struck so hard that it cannot even get back on its feet,” Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said on Tuesday while addressing thousands of people from East Azarbaijan Province.
“They keep saying, ‘We have sent an aircraft carrier toward Iran.’ Fine—an aircraft carrier is certainly a dangerous piece of equipment. But more dangerous than the carrier is the weapon capable of sending it to the bottom of the sea,” he added.
Trump’s remarks that Washington has been unable to eliminate the Islamic Republic for the past 47 years is “quite an admission,” Ayatollah Khamenei said.
“For 47 years, America has failed to destroy the Islamic Republic,” he said, before addressing Trump and adding, “I say this: you will not be able to do so in the future either.”
The warning comes as US President Donald Trump has deployed military forces to the region, threatening to launch attacks on Iran.
US officials said on February 12 that the Pentagon was sending an additional aircraft carrier to the region, adding thousands more troops along with fighter aircraft and guided-missile destroyers.
“In case we don't make a deal, we'll need it,” Trump said on Friday, referring to USS Gerald R. Ford.
The military buildup comes as Iran and the US are holding indirect talks about the nuclear issue, months after the US-Israeli aggression on Iranian soil and attacks on peaceful nuclear facilities.
Observers say Trump is using the military threat as leverage in talks to gain concessions from Tehran. However, Iranian officials have highlighted Tehran’s readiness for both diplomacy and war, warning that any attack on Iran would ignite a regional war.
On Sunday, Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi warned Trump over his war rhetoric.
“Trump should know that he would be entering a confrontation that gives harsh lessons, the outcome of which would ensure that he no longer bellows threats around the world,” he said.