Sayeed Muhammad: Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has said US President Donald Trump will fail in his confrontation with Iran, just like Iraq’s Saddam Hussein,
He made the claim, citing the war between the two Middle Eastern powers and vowing that Tehran will not abandon its missiles, reports Reuters.
Tensions have ramped up between Iran and the US after Trump withdrew from a landmark multilateral nuclear deal in May, reissuing sanctions on the Islamic Republic in August.
Iran, As Rouhani spoke, began displaying its naval power in the Gulf during annual parades in the capital Tehran and the port of Bandar Abbas on the Gulf marking the start of the country’s 1980-88 war with Iraq.
Iran in recent weeks hinted at taking military action in the Gulf to block other countries’ oil exports in retaliation for US sanctions intended to halt its sales of crude, with Washington maintaining a fleet in the Gulf that protects oil shipping routes.
“The same will happen to Trump. America will suffer the same fate as Saddam Hussein,” Rouhani said in a televised speech, adding, “Iran will not abandon its defensive weapons … including its missiles that make America so angry.”
According to state media, about 600 vessels took part in the Gulf naval drill on Saturday, a day after Iran held aerial exercises in the waterway, vowing that a “pounding reply” awaited the country’s enemies.