Iranian state propaganda outlet PressTV quoted an unnamed regime official on Thursday stating “Iran’s threats” are prompting American moves to protect diplomats abroad, tacitly admitting Tehran is the belligerent party in the relationship as the White House plans for a new round of talks with the rogue regime.
Multiple reports published on Wednesday and Thursday indicated that the administration of President Donald Trump is evacuating some diplomats from Iraq, and potentially Kuwait and Bahrain. The news agency Reuters reported that the State Department confirmed the “departure of non-emergency U.S. government personnel due to heightened regional tensions.”
Asked on Wednesday, President Trump also confirmed the evacuations, explaining that Iraq “could be a dangerous place, and we’ll see what happens.”
“Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon, we won’t allow it,” he added.
This departure follows five rounds of talks between American and Iranian negotiators intended to draft an agreement. American officials state the objective of the agreement is to contain Iran’s nefarious nuclear activities, particularly the rapid pace at which it is believed to be enriching uranium. Iranian officials, on the other hand, insist that the goal of the talks is to convince America to drop sanctions on Iran’s oil industry and stridently refuse to consider an end to its illicit enrichment program.
American mainstream media outlets began reporting alleged concern among anonymous parties this week following President Donald Trump publicly expressing pessimism about the talks, admitting he was “much less confident” about the possibility of an agreement after Iran reportedly rejected an initial offer from Washington. Some similar rumors claimed neighboring Israel was planning to attack Iran.
While some Iranian officials blame alleged American and Israeli belligerence for negotiation difficulties, the anonymous official speaking to PressTV conceded that Tehran, the world’s premier state sponsor of terrorism, was actively threatening the United States.
Daily life continues in Tehran, the capital of Iran. (Photo by Fatemeh Bahrami/Anadolu via Getty Images)
“What the Americans are doing is not a message of threat to Iran, but rather a reaction to Iran’s threats against their interests,” the man, who PressTV did not name, was quoted as saying.
“Iran is currently at its highest level of military readiness, and if the United States or the Zionist regime [Israel] attempts any act of aggression, they will be caught by surprise,” the official claimed, boasting that Iran is at its “highest level of military readiness.
“Iran is now capable of catching its enemies by surprise by launching deadly preemptive strikes before any hostile movement on their part,” the official threatened.
The admission that Iran is threatening America and not the other way around contradicts comments on Thursday by the head of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a U.S.-designated terrorist organization. Maj. Gen. Hossein Salami insisted that “the enemy is threatening us with military war,” without elaborating, and added that his terrorists were “ready for every scenario and have a military strategy.”
Another Iranian official, Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh, openly threatened to attack American bases on Wednesday.
“If conflict is imposed on us, the opponent’s casualties will certainly be higher, and in that case, America must leave the region, because all its bases are within our reach,” he reportedly said. “We have access to them, and we will target all of them in the host countries without hesitation.”
The Iranian armed forces launched a new round of military exercises on Thursday, the regime-linked Tasnim News Agency reported. According to its report, Iranian officials claim the objective of the drills is “to enhance the defensive capabilities and deterrence of the country’s armed forces and to assess their readiness.”
The governments of Iran and America have engaged in five rounds of negotiations linked to Iran’s nuclear program since April. Despite the elevated rhetoric, the government of Oman, which has mediated the talks, recently confirmed that American and Iranian negotiators are scheduled to meet for a sixth time on Sunday.
Breitbart News’ Matthew Boyle independently confirmed on Thursday that the top American negotiator in the talks, Special Envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff, is planning to attend the talks.
In recent statements, President Trump lamented that Iran’s intransigence was complicating the discussions.
“They’re just asking for things you can’t do,” he said on Tuesday. “They don’t want to give up what they have to give up. They seek enrichment. We can’t have enrichment. We want just the opposite, and so far they’re not there. I hate to say that, because the alternative is a very, very dire one.”
The Iranian government announced on Thursday, in response to condemnation from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), that it would launch a new uranium enrichment facility.
IAEA chief Rafael Grossi revealed at a meeting of the United Nations body’s board on Monday that Iran was maintaining at least three secret nuclear sites outside of the oversight of the IAEA and had attempted to “sanitize the locations.” The IAEA voted on Thursday to condemn Iran for its illicit nuclear activities.
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