...
By Ellie Cook
Senior Defense Reporter
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
Any U.S. attack on Iran would spark a "regional war," Iran's supreme leader has said, after U.S. President Donald Trump suggested his administration was "negotiating" with Iranian officials pressured by American military forces amassing nearby.
"The Americans should know that if they start a war this time, it will be a regional war," Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Saturday, according to remarks reported by state media.
Why It Matters
Trump has threatened to intervene in Iran as the regime cracked down on protesters that have taken to the streets across the country since late December and over Tehran's nuclear program. The U.S. said in mid-January it was not taking any options off the table, yet Trump also appeared to roll back on his stance by saying he believed "the killing in Iran has stopped."
Read More on World
But Trump said on Friday: "We have a lot of very big, very powerful ships sailing to Iran right now, and it would be great if we didn't have to use them." The USS Abraham Lincoln nuclear-powered aircraft carrier is currently deployed in the Middle East along with several warships and squadrons of advanced fighter jets.
...
What To Know
"Sometimes they talk about war and speak of aircraft and warships; this is not a new thing," Khamenei said on Saturday.
Trump had said on Friday he had told officials in Tehran the regime must do "two things" to avoid American military action.
"Number one, no nuclear. And number two, stop killing protesters," he said.
Ali Larijani, a top Iranian security official, said on Saturday negotiations with the U.S. were "progressing."
Demonstrations have rippled through Iran for more than a month, protesters frustrated with Iran's limping economy quickly turning their ire toward the country's ruling clerics and oppressive regime in Tehran as authorities clamped down.
The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) said on Sunday more than 6,700 people had been killed, the vast majority of whom were demonstrators. More than 17,000 suspected deaths are still under investigation, HRANA said.
Some reports have suggested the death toll could top 30,000. The true figures are incredibly difficult to verify because of a widespread internet blackout. Khamenei has publicly acknowledged the deaths of "several thousand" people.
The U.S. has consistently said it will not accept an Iran with access to nuclear weapons. The U.S. military struck three major Iranian nuclear sites in June 2025, bringing a brief war between Iran and Israel to an end. Tehran then targeted the U.S.' Al Udeid air base in Qatar. No U.S. personnel were harmed.
Iran insists its nuclear program has always been peaceful. "Iran has always welcomed a mutually beneficial, fair and equitable NUCLEAR DEAL—on equal footing, and free from coercion, threats, and intimidation—which ensures Iran's rights to PEACEFUL nuclear technology, and guarantees NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS," Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said on Wednesday.
But Iran's armed forces "are prepared—with their fingers on the trigger—to immediately and powerfully respond to ANY aggression," Araghchi said.
Trump pulled the U.S. out of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, often referred to simply as the Iran nuclear deal, during the Republican's first term. The agreement was signed in 2015.
Iran is expected to kick off two days of live-fire naval drills on Sunday in the Strait of Hormuz. The waterway is one of the world's most important shipping lanes.
The European Union had designated Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as terrorists in response to the regime's actions against protesters, a move condemned by Tehran. The U.S. and Canada have already made similar decisions against the corps.
Iran's parliamentary speaker said on Sunday that Tehran considered the armies of European countries to be terror groups in retaliation.
What People Are Saying
"We do not want to attack any country, but the Iranian nation will deliver a hard punch to anyone who attacks and harasses it," Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said on Saturday.
U.S. President Donald Trump last month called the protesters "patriots," urging them to "take over your institutions," while promising that "help is on the way."
In a polarized era, the center is dismissed as bland. At Newsweek, ours is different: The Courageous Center—it's not "both sides," it's sharp, challenging and alive with ideas. We follow facts, not factions. If that sounds like the kind of journalism you want to see thrive, we need you.
When you become a Newsweek Member, you support a mission to keep the center strong and vibrant. Members enjoy: Ad-free browsing, exclusive content and editor conversations. Help keep the center courageous. Join today.
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines