‘Will respond like never before’: Facing US threats, Iran fires back with strongest warning yet | World News

Iran-US Tension: Tension between the USA and Iran escalated after US President Donald Trump warned of a possible military operation. The threat drew strong reactions from Tehran, which said any military action would provoke an unprecedented response. Iranian officials have also said they are open to dialogue under clear conditions.

Trump’s warning came in a lengthy post on Truth Social in which he described a major US naval deployment. “A massive Armada is heading for Iran. It moves with speed, with great power, with enthusiasm and purpose. A larger fleet than the one sent to Venezuela, commanded by the Large Aircraft Carrier Abraham Lincon. As in Venezuela, it is ready, willing and able to carry out its mission quickly, with speed and violence if necessary.”

The President asked Tehran to negotiate, adding: “I hope Iran ‘Comes to the Table’ quickly and negotiates a fair and equitable deal – NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS – that is good for all parties. Time is running out, this is really important! As I told Iran before, MAKE A DEAL! They did not, and there was ‘Operation Midnight Hammer’, which was a huge devastation against Iran. The next attack will be much worse! Do this again.” “don’t do it.”

The White House later shared Trump’s post about

“…we hope that Iran will “Come to the Table” quickly and negotiate a fair and equitable deal – NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS – a deal that is good for all parties. Time is running out, this is really important! As I told Iran before, MAKE A DEAL…” – President DONALD J. TRUMP pic.twitter.com/H6qLbw3Ndi— White House (@WhiteHouse) January 28, 2026

Iran’s Mission to the United Nations responded to Trump’s comments on social media, reminding the United States of the high cost of its past wars. “The last time the United States fought wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, it squandered more than $7 trillion and claimed more than 7,000 American lives,” the panel said in a post on X.

The statement emphasized Iran’s declared stance on diplomacy and defense. Iran is ready for dialogue based on mutual respect and interests, BUT IF OBJECTED IT WILL DEFEND ITSELF AND RESPOND LIKE NEVER BEFORE!

The last time the United States fought wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, it spent more than $7 trillion and claimed more than 7,000 American lives.

Iran is ready for dialogue based on mutual respect and interests; BUT IF OBJECTED, HE WILL DEFEND HIMSELF AND ANSWER LIKE NEVER BEFORE! pic.twitter.com/k3fVEv1rus— UN IRIRAN Mission, NY (@Iran_UN) January 28, 2026

Senior Iranian officials echoed this message in stronger language regarding the consequences of any attack. Ali Shamkhani, a senior advisor to Iran’s Supreme Leader, said there would be no limited military intervention. He wrote on

Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi also repeated the warning, pointing to the country’s military preparation. He said Iran’s armed forces had their “fingers on the trigger” to “respond immediately and forcefully” to any attack.

Referring to recent hostilities, he said, “The valuable lessons learned from the 12-Day War have enabled us to respond even more strongly, rapidly and profoundly.”

Our brave Armed Forces stand ready with fingers on the trigger to respond immediately and forcefully to ANY attack on our beloved land, air and sea.

Valuable lessons learned from the 12-Day War allowed us to react stronger, faster and… pic.twitter.com/kEuj0dmBaK— Seyed Abbas Araghchi (@araghchi) January 28, 2026

He also reiterated Iran’s stance on nuclear negotiations. “Iran has always welcomed a mutually beneficial, fair and equitable nuclear agreement on equal terms, free of pressure, threats and intimidation, which guarantees Iran’s rights to peaceful nuclear technology and guarantees that it will not use nuclear weapons,” he said.

As US military assets moved closer to the Middle East, regional leaders also weighed in on the situation. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan warned against escalating military tensions and called for diplomatic interaction. Speaking to Al Jazeera, he said, “It’s wrong to start the war again.”

He called for regional cooperation amid rising tensions and concentration of naval forces in the Gulf. Fidan also said that Iran is ready to re-engage in the nuclear issue. “Iran is ready to renegotiate the nuclear file,” he said.

He advised Washington to continue negotiations step by step. “My advice to American friends is to always close the files on Iran one by one. Start with the nuclear one, close that, then close the others,” he said.

He added that presenting all demands together would make it difficult to manage and explain the process domestically in Iran.

China also expressed concern about the increasing rhetoric. Speaking at the UN Security Council, China’s ambassador Fu Cong warned against military action. “The use of force cannot solve the problems. Any military adventurism will only push the region into an unpredictable abyss,” he said.

The current standoff follows months of rising tensions that began with mass protests in Iran late last year. Activists say thousands of people were killed during the riots in early January. Trump had publicly criticized Iran’s leadership at the time, called on protesters to take control of state institutions and claimed “help was on the way.”

U.S. military movements continued throughout the period, including the deployment of the USS Abraham Lincoln strike group to the region. Trump has since repeated claims that previous US strikes “destroyed” Iran’s nuclear program; Tehran rejected this claim while maintaining its right to enrich uranium.

While diplomatic messages and military warnings proceeded in parallel, Iran also clarified its position. Dialogue is possible under certain conditions. Iranian officials say any attack would provoke a backlash aimed at deterring future attacks and changing the strategic balance in the region.