Hours after US President Donald Trump threatened Iran with “unprecedented bombing” in response to stalled nuclear negotiations, Iran has reportedly readied missiles capable of targeting US-linked positions worldwide. According to the Tehran Times, these missiles are strategically stored in underground facilities throughout the country, designed to endure potential airstrikes.
On Sunday, Trump warned in an interview with NBC News that if Iran refused to comply with US demands for a new nuclear deal, “there will be bombing” unlike anything the country has ever seen. He also suggested the possibility of reintroducing secondary tariffs on Iran and its trade partners, with a decision expected in the coming weeks, depending on Tehran’s response.
The Tehran Times further claimed that Iran’s military forces have prepared missiles with the potential to strike US-associated sites, as tensions between the two nations continue to rise. Trump, who had withdrawn the US from the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)—the Iran nuclear deal—during his first term, reiterated that the US remains open to negotiations, but only if Iran shows a commitment to limiting its nuclear program.
In response to Trump’s threats, Iran’s newly elected President Masoud Pezeshkian rejected direct talks with Washington but indicated that indirect negotiations, mediated by Oman, could continue. “The supreme leader has also emphasised that indirect negotiations can continue. We do not avoid negotiations. Rather, it is their unfaithfulness that has caused problems for us so far. They must prove that they can establish trust regarding decisions, and I hope this will materialize,” Pezeshkian stated.