Israel says it has launched a “preventative” strike on Iran and is preparing for retaliation.
On Friday, Donald Trump said he had not made a final decision on whether to launch US strikes on Iran – but added he was “not happy” with the situation, and that military force, including regime change, remained an option.
Talks between the US and Iran on Tehran’s nuclear programme ended inconclusively, with a suggestion that further discussions would be held next week.
It comes amid a massive buildup of US naval forces in the Middle East, including repositioning aircraft carriers and other warships.
Trump had previously given Tehran a deadline of 10 to 15 days to make a deal to resolve their longstanding nuclear dispute or face “really bad things”.
The USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea earlier this month. Photograph: Sonny Escalante/US NAVY/AFP/Getty ImagesIt came as Iran accused the US of spreading “big lies” about its missiles programme, after Trump claimed Tehran was building weapons that could strike the US.
During his State of the Union speech, the US president said Iran has “already developed missiles that can threaten Europe and our bases overseas, and they’re working to build missiles that will soon reach” the US.
He described Iran as “the world’s number one sponsor of terror” and claimed at least 32,000 protesters were killed during recent unrest in the country.
Baqaei rejected those claims, without mentioning Trump directly. “Whatever they’re alleging in regards to Iran’s nuclear programme, Iran’s ballistic missiles, and the number of casualties during January’s unrest, is simply the repetition of ‘big lies’,” he posted on X.
