US president says he is “speaking with Iran” as Tehran threatens decisive retaliation and EU designates Revolutionary Guards a terrorist organization.
PARIS — US President Donald Trump stated on Thursday that he hopes to avoid military action against Iran, even as he acknowledged deploying a naval fleet to the region and warned that time was “running out” for Tehran to negotiate over its nuclear program.
Speaking at the Washington premiere of a documentary about First Lady Melania Trump, the president told reporters: “We have a group headed out to a place called Iran, and hopefully we won’t have to use it.”
When asked if he was engaged in talks with Iranian officials, Trump responded: “I have had and I am planning on it.”
The comments come amid heightened tensions, with the US having recently moved a naval strike group into Middle Eastern waters. Iranian military spokesman Brig. Gen. Mohammad Akraminia warned that Tehran’s response to any American strike would be “decisive” and delivered “instantly,” adding that US bases in the Gulf and American aircraft carriers are within range of Iranian missiles.
“If such a miscalculation is made by the Americans, it will certainly not unfold the way Trump imagines,” Akraminia said in a televised address.
EU Labels Revolutionary Guards Terrorist Organization
The European Union further escalated diplomatic pressure on Thursday by officially designating Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) a terrorist organization, citing its role in the violent suppression of recent mass protests. EU chief Ursula von der Leyen called the move “overdue,” stating, “’Terrorist’ is indeed how you call a regime that crushes its own people’s protests in blood.”
Iran condemned the decision as “illogical” and accused the EU of acting in “obedience” to the United States and Israel.
Regional Fears of Escalation
A Gulf official, speaking on condition of anonymity, expressed deep concern that a US strike could plunge the region into chaos and trigger a surge in global oil and gas prices. In a sign of behind-the-scenes diplomacy, Qatar’s emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian held a call to discuss de-escalation efforts, according to Qatar’s state news agency.
Protest Death Toll Disputed
Rights groups report that thousands were killed during anti-government protests that peaked in early January, though figures vary widely. The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency confirmed 6,479 fatalities, while Iranian authorities claim more than 3,000 died, many of them security personnel.
In Tehran, citizens voiced weary apprehension. “I think the war is inevitable,” said a 29-year-old waitress who asked not to be named. “I am not in favor of war. I just want something to happen that would result in something better.”
UN Secretary-General António Guterres has urged renewed nuclear negotiations to “avoid a crisis that could have devastating consequences in the region.”
As billboards in Tehran display images of US aircraft carriers being destroyed, the world watches to see whether dialogue or military action will define the next chapter in US-Iran relations.
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