Bolton reinforces Trump threats against Iran

National security adviser John Bolton on Monday reinforced President Trump’s threats against Iran, warning that the country would “pay a price” if it acts negatively toward the United States.

“I spoke to the President over the last several days, and President Trump told me that if Iran does anything at all to the negative, they will pay a price like few countries have ever paid before,” Bolton said in a statement Monday morning.

{mosads}Bolton’s comments come roughly 12 hours after President Trump took to Twitter and issued an all-caps warning to Iranian leadership.

“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!” Trump tweeted.

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

Trump appeared to be responding to remarks Iranian President Hassan Rouhani gave to a group of diplomats in which he said war with Iran “is the mother of all wars.” He also seemed to leave the door open to peace talks, saying peace with Iran “is the mother of all peace.”

The tweet came shortly after Secretary of State Mike Pompeo compared Iran’s leaders to the mafia and touted U.S. support for the people of Iran, especially protesters who have taken to the streets recently in opposition to the current government.

Pompeo’s comments came during an appearance at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum on Sunday evening.

Tensions between the U.S. and Iran have been heightened for years, dating back well before the Trump administration.

However, Trump risked escalation when he withdrew the U.S. from the Iran nuclear deal earlier this year. The Obama-era agreement lifted sanctions on Tehran in exchange for the country abandoning its nuclear program.

Every other country in the pact has vowed to uphold the deal, even in the United States’ absence.

Trump’s latest rhetoric toward Iran was reminiscent of his threats against North Korea in August, when he warned that any additional threats from the country would be “met with fire, fury and, frankly, power, the likes of which this world has never seen before.”

That heated tone eventually gave way to more traditional diplomacy. Trump met with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un last month. While Trump has touted the meeting as an unmitigated success and claimed the country is no longer a nuclear threat, multiple reports have indicated the North Koreans have continued to develop their nuclear arsenal.