U.S. President Donald Trump warned Iran Wednesday that it must enter new negotiations on its nuclear program or "something will happen." It was not immediately clear what actions he was suggesting would take place.
The warning, issued a day after Trump announced the United States was withdrawing from the 2015 nuclear agreement with the Islamic republic and plans to reinstate economic sanctions, followed another warning, in which Trump cautioned Iran its nuclear weapons program.
Iran has boasted in the past that if the nuclear accord was ever violated or annulled, it would be able to resume high-level uranium enrichment within five days.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani ominously warned Tuesday that his country might "start enriching uranium more than before," should the deal's European partners bail on it as well.
"I would advise Iran not to start their nuclear program," Trump told reporters at the start of a cabinet meeting when asked about the potential consequences for his decision to exit the deal. "I would advise them very strongly. If they do there will be very severe consequences," he said, without elaborating.
The 2015 agreement, which was negotiated by the Obama administration and included Germany, France and Britain, had lifted most U.S. and international economic sanctions against Iran, and in exchange Tehran agreed to restrict its nuclear program, making it impossible for it to produce a bomb and establishing rigorous inspections.
But Trump, a severe critic of the deal dating back to his 2016 presidential campaign, said Tuesday the accords was "defective at its core."
On Wednesday, he claimed the deal "was going to lead to nuclear proliferation all over the Middle East" and bragged the sanctions would be among the strongest "that we've ever put on a country."
Trump also pointed to Iran's actions in countries including Syria and Yemen.
"With all of the places they're involved, it's bedlam and death and we can't allow that to happen," he said, adding, "They've got to understand life. Because I don't think they do understand life."
Dismissing the American president's warnings, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Wednesday that Trump would be "worm food" long before the Iranian government and nation falls.
Taking to social media, Khamenei tweeted, "U.S. president's shallow and ludicrous behavior wasn't unexpected. The same behavior existed in previous U.S. presidents. Yet, the Iranian nation is persistent while former U.S. presidents passed away and IRI [Islamic Republic of Iran] is still standing. This man's corpse will also be worm food while IRI stands strong."
Khamenei also accused Trump of lying during his announcement Tuesday, tweeting, "Last night you heard the shallow statements Trump made. There were several lies in his speech. He threatened the Iranian government and the Iranian nation, claiming he would do one thing or another. On behalf of Iranian nation: Mr. Trump, you couldn't lift a finger if you tried."
Business as usual?
Meanwhile, France, Germany and Britain were scrambling Wednesday to salvage the Iran nuclear deal and preserve their Iranian trade in wake of the U.S. pullout.
"The deal is not dead. There's an American withdrawal from the deal but the deal is still there," French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said.
But Rouhani told French counterpart Emmanuel Macron in a phone call that Europe had only a "limited opportunity" to preserve the pact.
Europe "must, as quickly as possible, clarify its position and specify and announce its intentions with regard to its obligations," the Iranian Students News Agency quoted Rouhani as saying.
Macron urged Rouhani to adhere to the deal and to consider broader negotiations.
The official Islamic Republic News Agency quoted government spokesman Mohammad Baqer Nobakht as saying Wednesday that Tehran has drafted a "proportional" plan to cope with the U.S. withdrawal.
Nobakht said that "budgets had been drawn up to handle various scenarios," but did not elaborate.
Le Drian, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and the International Atomic Energy Agency all said Iran was honoring its commitments under the accord.
"The region deserves better than further destabilization provoked by the American withdrawal," Le Drian said.
Later on Wednesday, U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis sought to allay concerns that Washington had alienated itself from close allies with Trump's decision.
"The president could not affirm as required that this agreement was being lived up to," Mattis told a U.S. Senate hearing. "We now have the opportunity to move forward to address those shortcomings and make it more compelling."
The European Union said it would ensure sanctions on Iran remain lifted, as long as Tehran meets its commitments.
The Kremlin said Russian President Vladimir Putin was "deeply concerned" by the U.S.'s move.
Merkel said that while the existing deal should not be called into question, there should be discussion of "a broader deal that goes beyond it."
British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson spoke of a "follow-on agreement," but said it was up to Washington to come up with concrete proposals.
Macron said he wanted a broader discussion with all relevant parties on the development of Iran's nuclear program after 2025, when key elements of the current deal start to expire, as well as Iran's ballistic missile program and wider Middle East issues.
Iranian officials are scheduled to meet next week with counterparts from France, Britain and Germany, but Khamenei appeared skeptical whether they could deliver, saying, "I don't trust these three countries."
The chances of saving the deal without Washington depend largely on whether international firms are willing and able to keep trading with Iran despite the threat of U.S. sanctions.
In a sign of what may be in store, U.S. Ambassador to Germany Richard Allen Grenell tweeted within hours of taking up his post that German businesses should halt activities in Iran at once.
French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said the United States should not consider itself the world's "economic policeman."
Britain, France and Germany said they would do all they could to protect their business interests in Iran, yet it was unclear how much they can shield firms from U.S. sanctions.
Brussels has a "blocking statute" at its disposal that bans any EU company from complying with U.S. sanctions and does not recognize any court rulings that enforce American penalties.
But the statute has never been used and is seen by European governments more as a political weapon than a regulation, because its rules are vague and difficult to enforce.
British Prime Minister Theresa May's spokesman made the limits of potential action clear: "UK businesses may wish to consider the implications for their business activities in Iran and, where necessary, seek appropriate legal advice."
European companies, including carmaker PSA, plane manufacturer Airbus and engineering group Siemens, all said they were watching the situation.
A senior French diplomat said businesses would ultimately be forced to choose between their Iranian economic interests and their potential U.S. interests, adding: "Generally, that decision is quickly made in favor of the U.S."
