Iran readies missiles for possible strike amid Trump's threats: Report

Iran has placed its missiles in a ready-to-launch mode within underground facilities across the country so that it can withstand airstrikes, said a report in state-controlled Tehran Times.

Trump's warning

On Sunday (March 30), the US President again stated that bombing Iran is an option if Tehran refuses to accept a nuclear deal.

Trump, in an interview with NBC News, had said, "If they don’t make a deal, there will be a bombing. It will be bombing the likes of which they have never seen before."

Also read: We won’t negotiate, do whatever the hell you want: Iran’s President tells Trump

And, while talking to reporters while flying from Florida to Washington on Sunday evening, Trump said he wanted Iran to come to the negotiating table, otherwise, he warned, "it’s going to be a bad situation." He further warned that he would slap Iran with "secondary tariffs" as he had done four years ago.

The demands to dismantle Iran’s nuclear programme has become louder in Washington.

Build trust, says Iran

According to the exclusive news report, Iranians have refused to negotiate with the US under the current circumstances, and are prepared to respond to any aggression decisively.

However, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian also said in a televised address that they don’t avoid talks but the "breach of promises" have caused issues for them so far.

“They must prove that they can build trust,” he added. According to reports, the Iranian President is not rejecting direct talks but remains open to indirect negotiations through Oman.

Also read: Iran denies aiding Yemen's Houthis after US strikes, Trump’s warning

Meanwhile, Iran released an 85-second video clip showcasing its underground missile facility that can destroy all US assets in the region. Also called "missile city" by Iran's Revolutionary Guards (IRGC), the video also shows Iran's advanced weaponry and its troops stepping on an Israeli flag painted on the ground.

US remain steadfast

After Iran's response, Washington said that the Trump administration's position remains clear: it cannot allow Iran to develop its nuclear programme and “acquire a nuclear weapon”.

Trump, who withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal in 2018 and reimposed sanctions, has continued pressuring Tehran for a new agreement.

'No negotiations with such a government'

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has come out strongly against holding direct negotiations with Washington, telling the Associated Press in February that there should be "no negotiations with such a government". He criticised Trump’s decision to abandon the 2015 accord, pointing out, “The very person who is in office today tore up the agreement. This is an experience we must learn from.”

Also read: Trump given advisers instructions for Iran to be 'obliterated' if it assassinates him

Meanwhile, Iranian officials, including parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, have warned that any US military action could spark a broader conflict.

“If they violate Iran’s sovereignty, it will be like a spark in a gunpowder depot,” said Qaliba.