'Iran only acts in self-defence', says Javad Zarif after Trump's warning

Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif on April 2 hit out at Donald Trump saying that his country only acts in self-defense, unlike the United States. Zarif was responding to the US President Donald Trump's comment in which he had warned Iran and its allies against attacking US troops stationed in Iraq. Donald Trump had earlier said that his administration had received intelligence that Iran is planning a strike on US interests in Iraq. Zarif took to his official Twitter handle to respond to Trump's comment and accused the United States of lying, cheating and assassinating innocents. 

Read: Donald Trump Accuses Iran Of Plotting Attack On US, Warns About 'heavy Price'

Read: US In Coronavirus Tailspin, Under-fire Trump Warns Iran Against Attacking Troops In Iraq

Iran-US tension

Tensions between Tehran and Washington rose to an all-time high after Donald Trump withdrew from the Obama-era nuclear deal, also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). The United States on January 3 killed Iran's top military commander Qasem Soleimani following which Tehran reiterated by firing a dozen missiles on US troops stationed at the Iraqi military base. Following Iran's action, the Iraqi parliament passed a resolution to dismiss US troops from the country. 

Read: US State Secretary Warns Iraq That Attacks On Americans Will Not Be Tolerated

Since January escalation between Iran and the US, there have been multiple attacks on the US-led NATO forces in Iraq which Washington blamed on Tehran and its proxies. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned Iraq’s Prime Minister that the United States will not tolerate attacks and threats to American lives. Pompeo held a discussion with Adil Abd al-Mahdi on the last month's attacks on Camp Taji military base near Baghdad which claimed three lives of service members of US-led Coalition forces.

Read: Iran's President Rouhani: US Missed 'historic Opportunity' To Lift Sanctions