Trump threatens Iran’s leaders, Tehran shrugs off tweet storm

Iranians on Monday shrugged off the possibility that a bellicose exchange of words between President Donald Trump and his Iranian counterpart could escalate into military conflict, but expressed growing concern America’s stepped-up sanctions could damage their fragile economy.

In his latest salvo, Trump tweeted late on Sunday that hostile threats from Iran could bring dire consequences.

This was after Iranian President Hassan Rouhani remarked earlier in the day that “American must understand well that peace with Iran is the mother of all peace and war with Iran is the mother of all wars.”

Trump tweeted, in all upper case, “NEVER EVER THREATEN THE UNITED STATES AGAIN OR YOU WILL SUFFER CONSEQUENCES THE LIKE OF WHICH FEW THROUGHOUT HISTORY HAVE EVER SUFFERED BEFORE.”

Within hours, Iran’s stateowned news agency IRNA dismissed the tweet, describing it as a “passive reaction” to Rouhani’s remarks. On Tehran streets, residents took the exchange in stride.

“Both America and Iran have threatened one another in different ways for several years,” shrugged Mohsen Taheri, a 58-year-old publisher.

A headline on a local newspaper quoted Rouhani as saying: “Mr. Trump, do not play with the lion’s tail.”

Prominent Iranian political analyst Seed Leilaz downplayed the war of words, saying it was in his opinion “the storm before the calm.”

Leilaz told The Associated Press he was not “worried about the remarks and tweets,” and that “neither Iran, nor any other country is interested in escalating tensions in the region.”

Citing harsh words the US and North Korea exchanged before the high-profile summit between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Leilaz said Trump and Kim got “closer” despite the warring words.

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