Last night, President Trump issued a threat directed at Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Twitter.
The Tweet was a response to comments Rouhani made to a group of Iranian diplomats on Sunday.
Here’s what Rouhani said, according to Reuters:
“America should know that peace with Iran is the mother of all peace, and war with Iran is the mother of all wars,” Rouhani said, leaving open the possibility of peace between the two countries, at odds since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
“You are not in a position to incite the Iranian nation against Iran’s security and interests,” Rouhani said, in an apparent reference to reported efforts by Washington to destabilize Iran’s Islamic government.
U.S. officials familiar with the matter told Reuters that the Trump administration had launched an offensive of speeches and online communications meant to foment unrest and help pressure Iran to end its nuclear program and its support of militant groups.
Current and former U.S. officials said the campaign painted Iranian leaders in a harsh light, at times using information that is exaggerated or contradicts other official pronouncements, including comments by previous administrations.
Apparently, Trump took Rouhani’s comment as a threat to America, because he directed the following ALL CAPS Tweet to Rouhani last night:
To Iranian President Rouhani: 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 & DEATH. BE CAUTIOUS!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 23, 2018
Is this how we do things now?
Who ever would have thought leaders of powerful countries would someday use social media to threaten each other? Trump sounds like an 11-year-old on a playground.
Trump’s Tweet is “utterly terrifying”, as Joel Mathis of The Week explains:
Let’s not mince words here: Nuclear weapons are designed to inflict genocidal levels of destruction and death. They are a weapon to be used as a last resort, if that, to ensure national survival. They are not meant to be used casually — either as a weapon, or rhetorically. Not even implicitly.
But President Trump keeps doing exactly that.
The latest threat came late Sunday night, in an unhinged-sounding all-caps tweet that almost immediately ranks — along with Ronald Reagan’s “we begin the bombing in five minutes” gaffe and JFK’s Cuban Missile Crisis speech to the nation — as among the more alarming presidential communications in history.
Iran’s Foreign Minister responded to the Tweet:
COLOR US UNIMPRESSED: The world heard even harsher bluster a few months ago. And Iranians have heard them —albeit more civilized ones—for 40 yrs. We’ve been around for millennia & seen fall of empires, incl our own, which lasted more than the life of some countries. BE CAUTIOUS!
— Javad Zarif (@JZarif) July 23, 2018
Some pointed out that maybe, just maybe, world “leaders” exchanging threats via social media isn’t the ideal way to handle foreign relations…
Your volatile tweets threaten violence and are a form of cyber bullying. This is dangerous for our nation and an exceptionally poor example for our youth. Please stop. @FLOTUS #BeBest #TwitterDoBetter
— CJ Maloney (@CJ_Maloney) July 23, 2018
It is easy to shrug off Trump's threat against Iran as half-baked and a distraction. It may be that. But as the pressure builds on him by far the most likely wag the dog scenario for him will involve Iran. See this Tweet as lunatic…but also as a harbinger of things to come.
— David Rothkopf (@djrothkopf) July 23, 2018
Evil Captain Kangaroo impersonator and renowned chickenhawk @AmbJohnBolton has been calling for unprovoked war against Iran for his entire career. It's no surprise that he's backing @realDonaldTrump's Iran tweet (if not ghostwriting it himself). https://t.co/s01oDqVwvw #NoIranWar
— True Blue Liberal (@TrueBlueLiberal) July 23, 2018
Netanyahu praised Trump for his bellicose tweet to Iran, Netanyahu the man most responsible for the increased tensions and threat of escalating hostilities in the region. Netanyahu your statement is duly noted and dismissed by all Americans who want peace
— Lawrence Young (@larry5336) July 23, 2018
The President of Iran, Hassan Rouhani, responds to Trump's tweet: "The President's comments are a direct threat to the security of our nation. We must respond accordingly." https://t.co/2lLlOSr7xH pic.twitter.com/LQe4hvZBCB
— CNN Breaking News (@CNNBreakingNows) July 23, 2018
Iran made NO threat to America. Read this, & RT. But contrary to what Rouhani said, Trump is fueling the fire with what HE tweeted. A few days ago, he claimed Liberals wanted a war, due to not supporting the Putin meeting. But Trump’s recent tweet is inciting that HE wants war. https://t.co/CeKm1CpjWV
— Linda Lee