Speaking from the Oval Office ahead of a meeting with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban Monday afternoon, President Trump against warned Iran against any further escalation toward the United States.
“It's going to be a bad problem for Iran if something happens, I can tell you that. They're not going to be happy,” Trump said. "If they do anything, it’ll be a very bad mistake."
"It’ll be a bad problem for Iran if something happens I can tell you that. They’re not gonna be happy. They know what I mean by that," he continued.
Trump's warning comes shortly after the U.S. moved military assets to combat what the Defense and State Departments describe as credible threats against American interests.
2 of 2: We call on the Iranian regime to cease all provocation. We will hold the Iranian regime accountable for any attack on US forces or our interests.
— Acting SecDef Pat Shanahan (@ActingSecDef) May 6, 2019
The Islamic Republic of Iran has engaged in an escalating series of threatening actions and statements in recent weeks. Any attacks by them or their proxies against U.S. citizens or our interests will be answered with a swift and decisive response.
— Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) May 10, 2019
Earlier this month the administration officially classified the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization. The head of the IRGC responded to U.S. movement of military assets into the Persian Gulf as "targets."
A senior Iranian Revolutionary Guards commander said on Sunday that the U.S. military presence in the Gulf used to be a serious threat but now represents a target, the Iranian Students News Agency reported.
The U.S. military has sent forces, including an aircraft carrier and B-52 bombers, to the Middle East in a move that U.S. officials said was made to counter “clear indications” of threats from Iran to American forces in the region.