Amid soaring tensions, Trump says war would be 'end of Iran'

WASHINGTON - US President Donald Trump insinuated on Monday that Muslim-majority Iran would come to an end if it fights [against the US].

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1130207891049332737

The warning comes days after the US deployed additional warships and planes to the Gulf stirring panic among the Muslims across the globe.

Trump's tweet is a visible deviation from his earlier stance as he had downplayed the possibility of a conflict with Iran.

In an interview with Fox News broadcast on Sunday, the president vowed that he would not let Iran develop nuclear weapons but said he did not want a conflict.

"I'm not somebody that wants to go into war, because war hurts economies, war kills people most importantly - by far most importantly," he said.

On the other hand, Iran's foreign minister insisted on Saturday that there was no appetite for war.

"There will not be a war since neither we want a war nor does anyone have the illusion they can confront Iran in the region," Mohammad Javad Zarif told state news agency Irna.

https://en.dailypakistan.com.pk/world/trump-orders-aides-to-avoid-conflict-with-iran-nyt/

Moreover, Iran's Fars news agency reported Sunday that the commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, Maj Gen Hossein Salami, also said Iran was not seeking a conflict but hastened to added that the US was "afraid of war and don't have the will for it".

The latest tensions come after Iran suspended its commitments under the 2015 international nuclear deal, and threatened to resume production of enriched uranium; Trump had already withdrawn from the Obama era-brokered pact.