President Donald Trump tweeted out an all-caps threat to Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Sunday night, echoing the incendiary rhetoric he used against North Korea last year.
The president said if Iran continued to “threaten” the United States, the country would face “consequences the likes of which few throughout history have ever suffered before.”
“To Iranian President Rouhani: NEVER, EVER THREATEN THE UNITED STATES AGAIN OR YOU WILL SUFFER CONSEQUENCES THE LIKES OF WHICH FEW THROUGHOUT HISTORY HAVE EVER SUFFERED BEFORE. WE ARE NO LONGER A COUNTRY THAT WILL STAND FOR YOUR DEMENTED WORDS OF VIOLENCE & DEATH. BE CAUTIOUS!” Trump tweeted.
To Iranian President Rouhani: NEVER, EVER THREATEN THE UNITED STATES AGAIN OR YOU WILL SUFFER CONSEQUENCES THE LIKES OF WHICH FEW THROUGHOUT HISTORY HAVE EVER SUFFERED BEFORE. WE ARE NO LONGER A COUNTRY THAT WILL STAND FOR YOUR DEMENTED WORDS OF VIOLENCE & DEATH. BE CAUTIOUS!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 23, 2018
Trump’s tweet followed Rouhani saying that war between the United States and Iran would be “the mother of all wars” and cautioned the president: “do not play with the lion’s tail, because you regret it eternally,” according to CNN.
While Trump has taken a hard-line stance against Iran, including announcing that the United States would withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal earlier this year, some people have pointed out several tweets the president sent out in the past that could hint to his sudden—all caps—threat toward Iran.
Back in the first term of President Barack Obama, when Trump was a Twitter troll who commented on politics, the now-president predicted several times that Obama would declare war on Iran to “save face,” or “get elected,” or would “launch a strike” against the country because of his poll numbers.
So does his stance on the underlying motivations for a potential attack against Iran—like he threatened on Sunday—still apply?
I predict that President Obama will at some point attack Iran in order to save face!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 16, 2013
Don't let Obama play the Iran card in order to start a war in order to get elected–be careful Republicans!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 22, 2012
Now that Obama’s poll numbers are in tailspin – watch for him to launch a strike in Libya or Iran. He is desperate.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 9, 2012
I always said @BarackObama will attack Iran, in some form, prior to the election.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 16, 2012
@BarackObama will attack Iran in order to get re-elected.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 17, 2012
In order to get elected, @BarackObama will start a war with Iran.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 29, 2011
@BarackObama will attack Iran in the not too distant future because it will help him win the election. If the… (cont) http://t.co/WEJd30pR
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 14, 2011
While Trump isn’t a position to get re-elected until 2020, the president’s idea of stoking Iran for a boost in poll numbers could certainly be on his mind. As of mid-July, his approval rating was 42.9 percent, according to Real Clear Politics.
That being said, the last time Trump used such harsh rhetoric against a country, he wound up meeting with its leader. Now he’s showering praise on him.
Maybe this will be the same.
Obama, despite Trump’s predictions, made a peace deal with Iran instead of going to war.
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