The US president’s national security adviser, John Bolton, reiterated the administration position in a statement to the press later in the day, written in sentence case.The exchange reflects increased tensions resulting from a mounting US pressure campaign on Iran targeting the country’s financial system – which the administration claims is run by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps to the exclusive benefit of its leadership – and its oil and gas market. Having withdrawn the US from a nuclear agreement with Iran brokered with five other international powers in 2015, the Trump team now plans on snapping back all sanctions that were in place before the agreement by November 4.Tehran has repeatedly warned in recent weeks that Trump’s policy, which threatens to collapse Iran’s economy and throw the government into crisis, will lead to war between the two nations. Iranian officials want guarantees from European powers hoping to keep the 2015 agreement alive that they will protect Iran from the harshest sanctions, including US efforts to bring their crude exports down to zero by the fall.Iranian leaders have also warned that they may resume their strategic enrichment of fissile material – nuclear work that had previously isolated the country on the world stage and prompted an international crisis.“If they restart their nuclear program, they will have bigger problems than they ever had before,” Trump told the press in April beside French President Emmanuel Macron.National security pundits responded on Twitter lambasting the president for using all caps and for the tone of his message relative to that of Rouhani’s remarks.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