Iran Guards vow to retaliate against any attack after Trump warning

Iran Guards vow to retaliate against any attack after Trump warning
by AFP Staff Writers
Tehran (AFP) Mar 16, 2025

Iran's Revolutionary Guards on Sunday threatened a "decisive" response to any attack, after US President Donald Trump ordered a wave of air strikes against Yemen's Huthi rebels and warned Tehran to stop backing the group.

On Saturday, Trump said the United States had launched "decisive and powerful military action" to end the Huthi threat to Red Sea shipping, and warned Iran's support for the rebels "must end immediately". A Huthi health official said the strikes had killed 31 people.

Iranian Guards chief Hossein Salami denounced Trump's threats in a televised speech on Sunday, adding that "Iran will not wage war, but if anyone threatens, it will give appropriate, decisive and conclusive responses".

The commander called the Huthis "the representative of the Yemenis", adding the group made its "strategic and operational decisions" independently.

In January 2020, during Trump's first term, the US killed the commander of the Guards' foreign operations arms, Qassem Soleimani, in a drone strike in Baghdad.

Days later, Iran retaliated by firing missiles at bases in Iraq housing American and other coalition troops. No US personnel were killed but Washington said dozens suffered traumatic brain injuries.

Earlier Sunday Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei "strongly condemned the brutal air strikes by the US" in a statement, denouncing them a "gross violation of the principles of the UN Charter".

Iran's top diplomat Abbas Araghchi said afterwards that Washington had "no authority" to dictate the Islamic republic's foreign policy.

"The United States Government has no authority, or business, dictating Iranian foreign policy," the foreign minister said on X, while urging the United States to stop the "killing of Yemeni people".

Araghchi said the time when Washington could dictate Tehran's foreign policy ended in 1979, when the Islamic revolution ousted the Western-backed shah.

The Huthis, who have controlled much of Yemen for more than a decade, are part of the "axis of resistance" of pro-Iran groups staunchly opposed to Israel and the United States.

The Yemeni rebels have attacked Israel and Red Sea shipping throughout the Gaza war in what they say is solidarity with Palestinians.

The US strikes on the Huthis are the first since Trump's return to the White House in January.

China urges end to 'illegal' sanctions as it hosts Iran nuclear talks
Beijing (AFP) Mar 14, 2025 - China urged an end to "illegal" sanctions on Iran as it hosted Iranian and Russian diplomats on Friday for talks Beijing hopes will restart long-stalled negotiations on Tehran's nuclear programme.

The United States withdrew from a landmark 2015 deal, which imposed curbs on Tehran's nuclear development in return for sanctions relief, during US President Donald Trump's first term.

The Republican president has called for a new nuclear deal with Iran since his return to the White House in January but Tehran says no such agreement is possible so long as punishing sanctions remain in place.

The effort to secure a pact was given new urgency last month when the UN nuclear watchdog said Iran had significantly increased its stockpile of highly enriched uranium.

Beijing hosted Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi and Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov for talks on Friday it said it hoped would help "resume dialogue and negotiation at an early time".

Meeting the diplomats, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi stressed "the comprehensive agreement on the Iranian nuclear issue is an important achievement achieved through dialogue and negotiation".

"Now the situation has reached a critical juncture again. We must buy time for peace, resolve disputes through political and diplomatic means, and oppose the use of force and illegal sanctions," he said.

And the US should demonstrate "political sincerity and return to talks at an early date", said a statement from Beijing's foreign ministry, which outlined propositions from China on the Iranian nuclear issue.

"All parties should... refrain from actions that might escalate the situation," the statement added.

- 'Peaceful' nuclear programme -

Gharibabadi, in turn, hailed the "constructive" talks in Beijing and said Iran's nuclear programme "is peaceful in nature".

"Our nuclear programme has never been diverted to non-peaceful purposes," Gharibabadi said.

"But unfortunately, some countries are trying to create an unnecessary crisis in this regard."

"The main root cause of the current situation is the unilateral withdrawal of the United States," Gharibabadi said.

The Russian and Iranian officials met China's Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu earlier on Friday and "exchanged views on the Iran nuclear issue and other issues of common concern", Chinese state media said.

Ma reiterated after that meeting China's support for "political and diplomatic engagement and dialogue based on mutual respect".

"We emphasised the necessity of ending all illegal, unilateral sanctions," Ma told reporters.

"The relevant parties should work to eliminate the root causes of the current situation and abandon sanctions, pressure, and threats of the use of force."

Iran's ambassador to China said later on social media platform X the meeting was a "complete success".

The talks resulted in important agreements on "trilateral cooperation on important international issues, including the need for the three countries to cooperate in confronting" US sanctions, he said.

The Kremlin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Friday that "it is necessary to further continue diplomatic efforts" on Iran's nuclear programme, and condemned "illegal" sanctions against Tehran.

- 'Maximum pressure' -

Trump has reinstated his "maximum pressure" policy of sanctions against Iran, mirroring his approach during his first term.

He sent a letter to Tehran this week urging nuclear talks and warning of possible military action if it refuses.

Tehran said the letter, which Trump said was addressed to Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was currently "being reviewed".

"Ultimately, the United States should lift the sanctions," Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in an interview published by the government's official newspaper on Thursday.

Washington upped its pressure campaign the same day by imposing sanctions on Iranian Petroleum Minister Mohsen Paknejad.

The US Treasury Department also blacklisted the owners or operators of vessels it said were engaged in transporting Iranian oil to China.

A report by the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in February said Iran had significantly increased its stockpile of highly enriched uranium to 60 percent purity -- a short step from the 90 percent needed for a nuclear weapon.

Khamenei said this week Iran "does not have nuclear weapons" and was "not seeking" them. Tehran has long maintained that its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes.