President Donald Trump delivers a statement on the Iran nuclear deal from the Diplomatic Reception Room of the White House, Tuesday, May 8, 2018, in Washington.
Evan Vucci | AP
President Donald Trump on Sunday told Iran to never threaten the United States, warning the Islamic Republic that if it wants a fight, it would be "the official end of Iran."
Trump's threat, posted on Twitter, comes amid rising international tensions in the Middle East as the U.S. has dispatched a carrier strike group and bomber task force to the region in recent weeks. The Pentagon says the military moves are in response to "heightened Iranian readiness to conduct offensive operations."
When asked on Friday if the United States is going to war with Iran, Trump said "hope not." The New York Times has reported that Trump told acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan that he does not want war with Iran.
But his national security advisor John Bolton has reportedly pushed within the administration for an aggressive military posture against Iran. According to The New York Times, Shanahan presented an updated military plan that included sending as many as 120,000 ground troops to the Middle East if Iran attacks U.S. forces or accelerated nuclear work.
The revisions to the military plan was ordered by hard-liners led by Bolton, according to the Times.
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