Iran has warned the United States that it would be forced to acquire a nuclear weapon if attacked, as stated by Ali Larijana, an adviser to Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
This warning comes after US President Donald Trump threatened to bomb Iran if it didn’t agree to a new nuclear deal, stating “there will be bombing” in an interview with NBC News on Saturday.
Khamenei had previously promised to retaliate if Trump followed through on his threat, and Larijana emphasized that Iran would have no choice but to pursue nuclear weapons if attacked.
Larijana clarified that Iran is not actively seeking nuclear weapons, but would be forced to defend itself if the US takes aggressive action, whether solo or in collaboration with another country, possibly Israel.
The situation remains tense, with Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi stating that Iran is willing to negotiate, but only if the US refrains from applying “maximum pressure.”