Iran’s national security chief tells Trump to speak to Iranians with respect or face a response “in another language”

Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Secretary Mohammad Baqer Zolqadr has responded to threats by US President Donald Trump, describing him as “the deluded American president who today threatened 91 million Iranians”.

Zolqadr said Trump had previously used similar language, as president of a country with only 250 years of history, threatening to destroy Iran’s ancient civilisation, which he said stretches back thousands of years. He added that the outcome for Trump was “nothing but defeat and despair”, leading him to seek negotiations and a ceasefire.

He also said “Iranians are unfamiliar with the language of threats, warning Trump to address the Iranian people with respect or “he will receive a response in another language”.

The remarks came after Trump said he would prefer to reach an agreement with Iran because he did not want to harm its 91 million people. He also claimed he was “not seeking regime change in Iran”, although he said “what is happening is regime change already”.

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