Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed a "firm response" to any attack on his country today, following a threat from US President Donald Trump if negotiations over Iran's nuclear program fail.
"They threaten to cause harm, if so, there will certainly be a firm response from Iran," the ayatollah said during a speech marking the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.
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But Khamenei did not directly mention Trump, who on Sunday threatened to bomb Iran if talks over its nuclear program fail.
"If they (the Iranians) don't sign the agreement, there will be bombing," Trump said in an interview with the American television network NBC.
The US and Iran have not had diplomatic relations since 1979. The two countries only have indirect exchanges through the Swiss embassy in Tehran, which represents US interests in Iran.
On March 7, the US president said he had sent a letter to Iranian authorities proposing negotiations to prevent Tehran from developing nuclear weapons, threatening military intervention.
Iranian authorities then responded by stating that they were against direct negotiations under "maximum pressure and threats," but were open to indirect contacts.
Iran reached an agreement with France, Germany, the UK, China, Russia and the US on its nuclear program in Vienna in 2015. In return, the text provided for the easing of international sanctions on Tehran.
However, in 2018, Trump, then the first US president (2017-2021), unilaterally withdrew his country from the agreement and reimposed severe sanctions on Iran. In response, Tehran increased its reserves of enriched uranium to 60 percent, while 90 percent is needed to make nuclear weapons.
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