More fire and fury: Trump, Pompeo offer mixed messages on Iran
Iranian Americans are unsure whether the Donald Trump administration intends to press for regime change in Iran or pursue eventual diplomatic outreach.
WASHINGTON — Soon after Secretary of State Mike Pompeo finished giving a high-profile speech to the Iranian American community in California purporting to promote democratic reforms in Iran, US President Donald Trump took to Twitter July 22 to warn Iranian President Hassan Rouhani against threatening the United States, or face dire military consequences.
“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 late on July 22. “WE ARE NO LONGER A COUNTRY THAT WILL STAND FOR YOUR DEMENTED WORDS OF VIOLENCE & DEATH. BE CAUTIOUS!”
What had provoked Trump’s ire was apparently aides recounting comments Rouhani had made earlier on Sunday to a gathering of Iranian diplomats that they had interpreted as menacing.
“America should know that peace with Iran is the mother of all peace, and war with Iran is the mother of all wars,” Rouhani said Sunday.
