Asked by a reporter about Khamenei\u2019s remarks, Trump said, \u201cOf course he would say that.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut we have the biggest, most powerful ships in the world over there, very close, couple of days, and hopefully we\u2019ll make a deal,\u201d he continued. \u201cWe don\u2019t make a deal, then we\u2019ll find out whether or not he was right.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tensions have been high after the U.S. struck Iranian nuclear facilities in June, and in recent weeks Trump has blasted Iran\u2019s crackdown on protesters.<\/p>\n
In January, Trump told Politico that he believed<\/a> it was \u201ctime to look for new leadership in Iran.\u201d As protests escalated last month, Trump told Iranian protesters<\/a> that \u201chelp is on its way,\u201d urging them to continue protesting. Thousands of people have been killed in the protests, according to a rights group. <\/a><\/p>\n Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said last week that there were no planned talks between his country and the U.S., but said he was prepared for talks to resume.<\/p>\n Also last week, Trump said that \u201ca massive armada\u201d was on its way to Iran.<\/p>\n \u201cLike with Venezuela, it is, ready, willing, and able to rapidly fulfill its mission, with speed and violence, if necessary,\u201d he said in a post<\/a> to Truth Social. \u201cHopefully Iran will quickly \u2018Come to the Table\u2019 and negotiate a fair and equitable deal \u2014 NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS \u2014 one that is good for all parties.\u201d<\/p>\n Trump said the \u201carmada\u201d was a larger fleet than the one sent to Venezuela, referencing the operation to capture President Nicol\u00e1s Maduro and bring him and his wife to the U.S. to face charges. Trump also referenced the June strikes in Iran, saying in the post that \u201cthe next attack will be far worse!\u201d<\/p>\n NBC News has previously reported <\/a>that the U.S. has sent a carrier strike group, as well as aircraft and land-based air defense systems, to the Middle East.<\/p>\n Following Trump\u2019s post, Ali Shamkhani, a senior adviser to Iran\u2019s supreme leader, warned that any response to a U.S. attack would be widespread.<\/p>\n \u201cAny military action by the United States, from any location and at any level, will be considered the start of a war,\u201d Shamkhani said,<\/a> according to Iranian state-run news agency IRNA. \u201cThe response will be immediate, comprehensive and unprecedented. The aggressor, the heart of Tel Aviv and all those who support the aggressor will be targeted.\u201d<\/p>\n Trump pulled the U.S. from the Iran nuclear deal<\/a>, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, in 2018, during his first presidential term. The deal offered Iran relief from sanctions in exchange for limiting its nuclear program.<\/p>\n
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