Iran's Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi accused Donald Trump of 'bombing the negotiation table out of spite'. Trump retaliated, calling the Iranian regime 'mentally ill, sick people' who would have used a nuclear weapon if they had one.
War of Words Between US, Iran Escalates
Iran's Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi has attacked US President, accusing him of bombing Iran out of spite even as negotiations were on between the two sides. In a post on X, Araghchi said, " When complex nuclear negotiations are treated like a real estate transaction, and when big lies cloud realities, unrealistic expectations can never be met. The outcome? Bombing the negotiation table out of spite. Mr. Trump betrayed diplomacy and Americans who elected him."
Earlier at a news conference in the White House, Trump described the Islamist Regime as 'crazy people' who would have used a nuclear weapon had they had access to it. "If we didn't do what we're doing right now, you would've had a nuclear war and they would've taken out many countries because you know what? They're sick people. They're mentally ill, sick people. They're angry. They're crazy. They're sick. These people are crazy -- and if they had a nuclear weapon, they would've used it," he said in a news conference on Tuesday night (local time).
His view was echoed by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio who said that the world would be a better place once the radicals had no access to weapons of destruction. "Iran is run by lunatics, religious fanatic lunatics. They have an ambition to have nuclear weapons. They intend to develop those nuclear weapons behind a program of missiles and drones and terrorism that the world will not be able to touch them for fear of those things. And this is the weakest they've ever been. Now is the time to go after them. The President made the decision to go after them, take away their missiles, take away their navy, take away their drones, take away their ability to make those things, so that they can never have a nuclear weapon... That's why the President made this decision. It was the right decision and the world will be a safer place when these radical clerics no longer have access to these weapons. You see how they're using them now. Imagine how they would use them a year from now if they had more of these," he said.
Succession Speculation After Supreme Leader's Death
Meanwhile, Iran's state media has reported that Iranians will Iranians will bid farewell to late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a ceremony later tonight at Tehran's Imam Khomeini prayer ground. The ceremony will last for three days and the funeral procession will be announced when it is finalized.
Israeli Media had earlier reported that Ayatollah Khamenei's son Mojtaba has been chosen as the successor to his father and will take over as Supreme leader. Senior Israeli officials told Ynet news that the Assembly is expected to formally announce Mojtaba Khamenei as successor in the coming hours. However, no independent confirmation has come from official Iran state media on the development.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)