Iran responds to Trump's threat of 'blowing up the whole country'
The Iranian government has responded to President Donald Trump's threat of "blowing up the whole country" if the regime fails to open up the Strait of Hormuz by Tuesday evening.
"Iran's reaction would be one of reciprocating any such attack," Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ismail Baghaei said in a statement on Sunday afternoon. "Our armed forces have made it clear that in case Iran's infrastructure is attacked, we would react in kind."
Baghaei said that if the United States carries out Trump's threat, Iranian forces would "target similar infrastructure that is owned or in any way or manner related to the United States or contributes to their act of aggression against Iran."
Earlier Sunday, Trump told ABC News that if Iran doesn't strike a peace deal, including opening up the critical Strait of Hormuz, "we're blowing up the whole country."
Also, in a post on his social media platform on Sunday, Trump said, "Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. There will be nothing like it!!!"
The Iranian Mission to the United Nations also released a statement in reaction to Trump's statements, saying, the president "openly threatens to destroy infrastructure essential to civilian survival in Iran."
"If the conscience of the United Nations were alive, it would not remain silent in the face of the overt and shameless threat by the war-mongering President of the United States to target civilian infrastructure. Trump seeks to drag the region into an endless war," the Iranian Mission to the United Nations said in a statement. "This is direct and public incitement to terrorize civilians and clear evidence of intent to commit war crimes."
The Iranian Mission said the "international community and all States have obligations to prevent such atrocious acts of war crimes."
"They must act now. Tomorrow is too late," the Iranian Mission's statement said.
-ABC News' William Gretsky
