The Latest: Iranian analyst downplays Trump’s tweet

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on escalating rhetoric between Washington and Tehran (all times local):

4:35 a.m.

A prominent Iranian political analyst is downplaying President Donald Trump’s warning to Iran and the escalating rhetoric, saying they were in his opinion “the storm before the calm.”

Seed Leilaz told The Associated Press on Monday that he isn’t “worried about the remarks and tweets,” which he described as propaganda.

According to Leilaz, Trump’s attitude so far has been different from his words” and it’s “unlikely such a tweet will have any impact inside Iran.”

The analyst added that “neither Iran, nor any other country is interested in escalating tensions in the region.”

He cited the harsh words between the U.S. and North Korea that preceded the high profile summit between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and denuclearization talks.

Leilaz says Trump and Kim got “closer” despite their previous warring words.

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3:30 a.m.

A high-ranking Iranian officer says President Donald Trump’s warning of unprecedented “consequences” for Iran, should it threaten the United States, is nothing but “psychological warfare.”

Gen. Gholam Hossein Gheibparvar, the chief of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard’s volunteer Basij force, also said on Monday that Trump “won’t dare” take any military action against Iran. Gheibparvar’s comments were reported by the semi-official ISNA news agency.

Iranian lawmaker Heshmatollah Falahatpisheh told The Associated Press that he doubted it would come to a military confrontation between Iran and the United States, despite the escalating rhetoric.

Falahatpisheh says that Trump and his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani “express themselves through speeches since diplomatic channels are closed” as the two countries have had no diplomatic relations since 1979.

He says that unlike North Korea, “Iran never moved toward a nuclear bomb” and that therefore, “Iran is angry since Trump responded to Tehran’s engagement diplomacy by pulling the U.S. out of the nuclear deal.”

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2:30 a.m.

Iran’s state-owned news agency has dismissed President Donald Trump’s warning tweet, issued all in capital letters, to Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, describing it as a “passive reaction” to Rouhani’s remarks.

The IRNA news agency, a government mouthpiece, also said on Monday that Trump’s Twitter missive was only mimicking and copying Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif who had in the past warned the West to “never threaten an Iranian.”

Rouhani had said Sunday that “American must understand well that peace with Iran is the mother of all peace and war with Iran is the mother of all wars.”

Trump responded early Monday with a tweet that warned: “NEVER EVER THREATEN THE UNITED STATES AGAIN OR YOU WILL SUFFER CONSEQUENCES THE LIKE OF WHICH FEW THROUGHOUT HISTORY HAVE EVER SUFFERED BEFORE.”

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12:40 a.m.

President Donald Trump is warning Iranian President Hassan Rouhani that he will face dire consequences for threatening the United States.

Trump tweeted early Monday about the dangers to Iran of making hostile threats after Rouhani said Sunday “American must understand well that peace with Iran is the mother of all peace and war with Iran is the mother of all wars.” Trump responded early Monday with a tweet that warned: “NEVER EVER THREATEN THE UNITED STATES AGAIN OR YOU WILL SUFFER CONSEQUENCES THE LIKE OF WHICH FEW THROUGHOUT HISTORY HAVE EVER SUFFERED BEFORE.”

Trump earlier this year pulled the United States out of the international deal meant to prevent Tehran from developing a nuclear weapon and ordered increased American sanctions.