TEHRAN, Iran — Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Tuesday said his country’s answer to any attack would be harsh, apparently in response to a warning by US President Donald Trump that he could okay renewed strikes against the Islamic Republic if Tehran rebuilds its nuclear or ballistic missile programs.

“Answer of Islamic Republic of Iran to any cruel aggression will be harsh and discouraging,” Pezeshkian said on the social media platform X, without elaborating.

Trump made his comment during wide-ranging talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.

“Now I hear that Iran is trying to build up again,” Trump said during a news conference with Netanyahu after their meeting, “and if they are, we’re going to have to knock them down. We’ll knock them down. We’ll knock the hell out of them. But hopefully that’s not happening.”

The two leaders discussed the possibility of renewed military action against Tehran six months after a 12-day air war between Israel and Iran broke out in June following a surprise Israeli strike on strategic Iranian targets. Israel said its sweeping assault on Iran’s top military leaders, nuclear scientists, uranium........

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