Hours after US President Donald Trump threatened Iran with “bombing” over nuclear negotiations, the country has responded by “readying missiles”. According to the state-owned Tehran Times,  Iran’s armed forces have readied missiles that have the operational capability to hit US-linked positions around the world. 

“A significant number of these launch-ready missiles are located in underground facilities scattered across the country, designed to withstand airstrikes,” the report claimed.

On Sunday, Mr Trump told a journalist from the US network NBC News that Iran would face unprecedented bombing if it refused to comply with US demands. “If they don’t make a deal, there will be bombing,” Trump said. “It will be bombing the likes of which they have never seen before.”

In addition to military threats, Mr Trump floated the possibility of reintroducing secondary tariffs on Iran and its trade partners. He suggested that a final decision on these tariffs would be made in the coming weeks, depending on Tehran’s response.

“The Tehran Times has learned that Iran’s armed forces have readied missiles with the capability to strike US-related positions, amid ongoing threats of military action from President Donald Trump if Tehran does not agree to a new nuclear agreement on his terms,” the report claimed.

During his first term as President, Mr Trump withdrew the US from the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), known as the Iran nuclear deal. The agreement had imposed strict limitations on Iran’s nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief.  Mr Trump reiterated that his administration remains open to talks but stressed that Iran must demonstrate a commitment to limiting its nuclear program.

Iran’s newly elected President Masoud Pezeshkian responded to Mr Trump’s comments in a statement broadcast on state media. While rejecting direct negotiations with Washington, he acknowledged that indirect talks, mediated through Oman, could continue.

 “The supreme leader has also emphasised that indirect negotiations can continue. We do not avoid negotiations. Rather, it is their unfaithfulness that has caused problems for us so far. They must prove that they can establish trust regarding decisions, and I hope this will materialise,” Mr Pezeshkian said as quoted by news agency AFP.