Focus on ensuring Iran doesn't acquire nukes: White House after Trump tweet

Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif hit back at threats from US President Donald Trump on Twitter, warning him to "BE CAUTIOUS!"

As tensions mounted between the US and Iran, the White House said on Monday that President Donald Trump wanted to ensure that Iran did not acquire nuclear weapons.

The President has been, I think, pretty strong since day one in his language towards Iran. He was responding to comments made by them, and he's going to continue to focus on the safety and security of American people, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders told reporters when asked about the latest tweet from Trump in which he warned Iran of grave consequences for threatening the US.

I'm not going to get into specifics and certainly not negotiate with the press. That would be a determination that the President would make...but the ultimate goal and the focus of the President is making sure we keep nuclear weapons out of their hands and that we focus on the protection of America, she said.

Responding to questions, she said Trump's number one goal is to make sure Iran doesn't get a nuclear weapon.

We have similar and shared interests with our European allies, we're continuing to have discussions with them, and when we have specifics on that front, we'll let you know, she said.

President Donald Trump on Monday warned his Iranian counterpart that Tehran risked consequences the likes of which few throughout history have suffered before if he threatens the US again, hours after Hassan Rouhani cautioned that America's hostile threats against his country may trigger "the mother of all wars."

The tirade at the highest level signalled an immediate escalation of tensions between Washington and Tehran, weeks after the US left a landmark deal signed in 2015 which curbed Iran's nuclear activities in return for the lifting of international sanctions.

Rouhani had also warned Trump to stop "playing with the lion's tail" and threatening Iran, "or else you will regret it."

In the nearly all-caps tweet, Trump mentioned about the dangers to Iran of making hostile threats after Rouhani said, "America must understand well that peace with Iran is the mother of all peace and war with Iran is the mother of all wars."

"To Iranian President Rouhani: NEVER, EVER THREATEN THE UNITED STATES AGAIN OR YOU WILL SUFFER CONSEQUENCES THE LIKES OF WHICH FEW THROUGHOUT HISTORY HAVE EVER SUFFERED BEFORE," Trump tweeted, adding that "WE ARE NO LONGER A COUNTRY THAT WILL STAND FOR YOUR DEMENTED WORDS OF VIOLENCE & DEATH. BE CAUTIOUS!"

 

Sanders refused to comment when asked that the language the president used in the tweet was very similar to the language he used last August in New Jersey when he spoke of fire and fury being rained down on North Korea. That finally led to a one-on-one meeting he had with Kim Jong Un last month.

Is the president open to diplomacy with Iran, meeting perhaps one-on-one with President Rouhani? she was asked.

I'm not going to negotiate with the specifics that the president or the administration will be looking at. Again, our goal was to stop Iran from nuclear weapons and we'll keep you posted as we move through that process, Sanders said.

Meanwhile, Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has hit back at threats from US President Donald Trump on Twitter, warning him to "BE CAUTIOUS!".

Mimicking Trump's bellicose Twitter threat directed at Iran's leaders, Zarif wrote today: "UNIMPRESSED ... We've been around for millennia & seen fall of empires, incl our own, which lasted more than the life of some countries.