Trump Expresses Hope for Iran Deal as Khamenei Warns Any US Attack Would Ignite Regional War
Former US President Donald Trump has said Washington will “hopefully” reach an agreement with Iran, even as the country’s Supreme Leader issued a stark warning that any American military action would trigger a wider regional conflict.
Responding to remarks by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who cautioned against a US attack, Mr Trump appeared unperturbed. Speaking to reporters, he questioned the warning itself, saying: “Why wouldn’t he say that? Of course, he could say that.”
The US president highlighted America’s military presence near Iran, stating that the United States had “the biggest, most powerful ships in the world” positioned nearby, just “a couple of days” away. Despite the show of force, Mr Trump stressed his preference for diplomacy, adding: “Hopefully, we’ll make a deal. If we don’t make a deal, we’ll find out whether or not he was right.”
Mr Trump’s comments came after he spoke on Saturday night about US naval forces moving closer to Iran. He has previously warned that military action against Tehran remains an option, particularly over Iran’s killing of peaceful protesters.
In response, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned that any US-initiated war would not remain limited. In remarks carried by Iranian state media, he said America should understand that if it starts a war, it would escalate into a regional conflict. He dismissed US threats as repetitive, noting that American officials have long spoken of military options being “on the table,” including war.
Referring to Mr Trump directly, Khamenei said claims about deploying aircraft carriers and warplanes would not intimidate the Iranian people. He stressed that Iran does not seek war or wish to attack any country, but warned that if the US were to attack or harm Iran, the response would be severe. Any American-initiated conflict, he said, would spread throughout the region.
When asked during a flight to Florida on Saturday night about his “final decision” on Iran, Mr Trump declined to give specifics. He reiterated the presence of powerful US ships heading towards the region but said he hoped Iran would negotiate a deal acceptable to Washington.
Mr Trump was also questioned about whether Iran might be emboldened if the US chose to step back. He replied that opinions varied, but insisted that a negotiated agreement preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons would be preferable. He added that Iran was in serious talks with the US, though he remained uncertain about the outcome.
Meanwhile, Iranian officials adopted an equally forceful tone. One senior figure said Iran was at a high level of military and defensive readiness and closely monitoring enemy movements in the region. He warned that Iranian forces were fully prepared and that any mistake by adversaries would endanger their own security, the region’s stability, and Israel’s security.
In Iran’s parliament, tensions were also evident. The speaker told lawmakers that European Union military forces were now considered terrorist organisations by the Islamic Republic. This followed the EU’s decision to designate Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist entity due to its violent crackdown on protesters.
However, some Iranian officials struck a more conciliatory note. Ali Larijani, a senior security official, said on Saturday that structural arrangements for negotiations were progressing, posting the update on X, formerly Twitter. Despite this, Ayatollah Khamenei, now 86, has repeatedly ruled out direct talks with the United States.
As diplomatic tensions continued to rise, Iran was rocked by two explosions on Saturday. Authorities denied that a military leader was targeted. One blast occurred at the southern port city of Bandar Abbas, killing a four-year-old girl and injuring 14 others. A second explosion, more than 1,000 kilometres away in Ahvaz, left five people dead, according to state media.
