German media: Trump warns Iran: "Time is running out"

US President Trump recently said, "A large fleet is on its way to Iran," and a major strike is imminent if Iran does not yield. He stated that he would never allow Iran to acquire nuclear weapons. Tehran responded by saying it is prepared to "respond strongly to any infringement." In addition, the EU plans to designate the Iranian Revolutionary Guard as a "terrorist organization."

"Time is running out. I hope Iran returns to the negotiating table soon to reach a fair and just agreement — an agreement that benefits all parties, without developing nuclear weapons!" wrote US President Trump on his social media platform "Truth Social" on January 28 local time.

He also wrote that the fleet led by the "Abraham Lincoln" aircraft carrier "is larger than the fleet sent to Venezuela." The US military said that the carrier has already arrived in the region.

In this post, Trump also warned that if Iran does not act soon, the next attack will be "much more severe" than before.

According to AFP, there are currently ten U.S. warships in the region: in addition to the "Abraham Lincoln" aircraft carrier, there are three escort destroyers, three other destroyers, and three coastal combat vessels. This is roughly equivalent to the forces deployed to the Caribbean Sea before the U.S. military intervention in Venezuela at the beginning of January.

Tehran: Iranian armed forces "ready to fire at any moment"

The leadership in Tehran immediately reacted to Trump's threats, warning that if necessary, Iran would "defend itself with unprecedented intensity."

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghtschi wrote on X, the social media platform, that the Iranian armed forces "are ready to fire at any moment" and are prepared to "respond strongly to any infringement immediately." At the same time, he did not rule out the possibility of negotiations on the nuclear agreement, stating that "Iran always welcomes a mutually beneficial, fair and just nuclear agreement."

During Trump's first term in office, the U.S. unilaterally withdrew from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal in 2018 and reimposed sanctions on Iran. Subsequently, Tehran stopped fulfilling its obligations and increased its uranium enrichment efforts. According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, Iran currently has a quantity of highly enriched uranium far exceeding the amount allowed by the nuclear deal.

Western countries accuse Iran of seeking to develop nuclear weapons. Tehran denies this accusation.

EU plans to designate the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organization

Amid calls from China and Turkey for the U.S. to avoid military escalation, the EU has also taken a tougher stance toward Iran.

According to Elysee Palace, France has abandoned its opposition to designating the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) as a "terrorist organization." Italy had also made a similar shift in position a few days earlier.

EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Borrell emphasized that diplomatic channels between the EU and Iran will remain open. She expects EU foreign ministers to approve the measure at a meeting in Brussels this Thursday.

The Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard is the elite armed force of Tehran and has played a key role in suppressing protests. If designated as a terrorist organization by the EU, the Revolutionary Guard will be placed on the same level as groups such as Al-Qaeda, Hamas, and ISIS. This is primarily a symbolic move because existing EU sanctions have prohibited funding or other economic resources to the Revolutionary Guard and its members for over a decade. Assets of the Revolutionary Guard within the EU must also be frozen.

Source: DW

Original: toutiao.com/article/1855708190704652/

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