Iran arms missile cities after Trump's ‘bombing’ threat, Khamenei warns ‘there will be retaliation’ | 10 points

After threatening to ‘bomb’ Iran, Donald Trump on Sunday wrote to Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, to start talks on ending Tehran's nuclear weapons programme. Reacting to it, the supreme leader said, “any attack by the US or Israel would be met with a firm retaliatory strike,”. Meanwhile, Iran is said have “loaded all launchers” in its underground missile cities and is ready to attack

Here's look at top 10 developments in the US, Iran conflict:

• Iran has reportedly armed all launchers in its underground missile sites. The country is getting battle-ready after President Trump threatened to bomb Iran if it refused a nuclear deal, The Tehran Times reported.
• The report said on X said, “Information received by the Tehran Times indicates that Iran's missiles are loaded onto launchers in all underground missile cities and are ready for launch. Opening the Pandora's box will come at a heavy cost for the U.S. government and its allies.”

• Meanwhile reactiong to Trump's threat, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Monday any attack by the US or Israel would be met with “a firm retaliatory strike.” However, Khamenei downplayed the likelihood of such an outcome, characterizing it as “highly unlikely.”
• Trump told NBC on Saturday “If they don't make a deal, there will be bombing. But there's a chance that if they don't make a deal, that I will do secondary tariffs on them like I did four years ago.”
• On Sunday, President Masoud Pezeshkian said in televised remarks that Iran has informed Trump the country won’t engage in direct negotiations with the US, Bloomberg reported.
• Pezeshkian said the decision was conveyed in Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s response to a letter Trump had sent earlier this month on the prospect of new talks over Tehran’s nuclear program.

• Pezeshkian still noted in Iran's response that indirect negotiations with the Trump administration were still possible.
• “They must prove that they can build trust regarding their decisions, and I hope this will happen,” Pezeshkian said. “It’s the behaviour of the Americans that determines the future path of negotiations.”
• Iran delivered its response to Trump’s letter via Oman on Wednesday, according to the country’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. Over the weekend, Araghchi described the letter as containing “both a threat and an opening for diplomacy,” adding that Iran remained sceptical of Trump’s intentions
• As per an AFP report, analysts have said Iran may be just weeks away from producing a deliverable nuclear weapon -- though Tehran denies it is building such arms. Either way, such an attack carries a risk of spreading to a wider conflict.

Here's all about Trump-Iran conflict over nuclear program

In 2018, Trump pulled the US out of an agreement to relieve sanctions on Iran, in return for curbs on its nuclear program. Now, in his second term, he has said he is open to talks on a new deal that could reduce the risk of military escalation.

Trump revealed in early March that he had sent a letter proposing talks to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Meanwhile, he has pushed ahead with his "maximum pressure" program of additional sanctions and the threat of military action.

Deeply suspicious of the US administration after Trump's withdrawal from the original nuclear deal, Iran has refused to negotiate directly with Washington.

(With inputs from agencies)