US BLAMES IRAN AS WAR OF WORDS INTENSIFIES

THE White House has blamed Iranian President Hassan Rouhani for inciting a war of words with President Donald Trump, who has warned that verbal threats could escalate into military conflict.

Mr Trump, who campaigned on a promise to bring a more hawkish approach to Iran, sent a tweet, written all in capital letters, warning Mr Rouhani of dire consequences for the Islamic Republic.

It read: “Never ever threaten the United States again or you will suffer consequences the likes of which few throughout history have ever suffered before. We are no longer a country that will stand for your demented words of violence and death. Be cautious!”

Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif then echoed Mr Trump’s own bellicose tone in responding: “COLOUR US UNIMPRESSED.

“The world heard even harsher bluster a few months ago. And Iranians have heard them — albeit more civilised ones — for 40 yrs. We’ve been around for millennia & seen the fall of empires, incl our own, which lasted more than the life of some countries. BE CAUTIOUS!”

Mr Trump’s tweet had been in response to remarks by Mr Rouhani that “America must understand well that peace with Iran is the mother of all peace and war with Iran is the mother of all wars.”

The White House said Mr Trump’s tweet showed he would not tolerate critical rhetoric from Iran, and he wasn’t escalating tensions.

“If anybody’s inciting anything, look no further than to Iran,” press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said.

Prominent Iranian analyst Seed Leilaz downplayed the war of words, saying he thinks it was “the storm before the calm” and added that “neither Iran nor any other country is interested in escalating tensions in the region.”