Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi threatened on Tuesday that Iran will respond to the United States with “equal countermeasures from Iran” if America moves to block the Islamic Republic’s oil exports by the Trump administration’s promised November 4 deadline.
“If America wants to take a serious step in this direction it will definitely be met with a reaction and equal countermeasures from Iran,” Qassemi said, according to Radio Free Europe.
U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to sanction any countries that fail to stop importing Iranian oil by November.
In response to this, Iran has threatened to block oil exports from the Persian Gulf. Both Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei have endorsed this.
On Sunday, Rouhani warned President Trump that “war with Iran is the mother of all wars” and cautioned, “Mr. Trump! Do not play with the lion’s tail, (because) you’ll regret it. You are unable to provoke the Iranian nation against Iran’s security and interests.”
In response to this, Trump tweeted, “never, ever threaten the United States again or you will suffer the consequences the likes of which few throughout history have ever suffered before.”
Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif replied to Trump’s tweet, “UNIMPRESSED … We’ve been around for millennia & seen fall of empires, incl our own, which lasted more than the life of some countries. BE CAUTIOUS!”
Next year will mark the 40th anniversary of the Iranian regime’s coming to power, the fruits of which, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said, “have been bitter” during his address to members of the Iranian American community who gathered to hear him speak at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California.
“For forty years the Iranian people have heard from their leaders that America is the Great Satan,” Pompeo said. “We do not believe they are interested in hearing that fake news any longer.” He added, “The level of corruption and wealth among regime leaders shows that Iran is run by something that resembles the mafia more than a government” and noted that “Iranians should not have to flee their homeland to find a better life.”
Adelle Nazarian is a politics and national security reporter for Breitbart News. Follow her on Facebook and Twitter.