Trump issues blunt response to claims Iran could use UN to force US to pay for strike damage
Donald Trump was asked about the letter during the July 4 celebrations at the White House
Donald Trump responded firmly to suggestions that Iran might call on the United Nations to compel the US to cover the costs of damages caused by their strikes on Tehran last month.
The president launched an attack on Iran's key nuclear facilities on Saturday night (June 21), with Trump declaring the mission a 'success' after it 'completely obliterated' the Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan nuclear sites in the Middle Eastern country.
Iran targeted Qatar’s Al Udeid Air Base - the largest US base in the Middle East that houses some 10,000 US troops - in response, while also launching missiles at the Ain al-Asad air base in Western Iraq.
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote a letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres earlier this week blaming the US and Israel for the recent war in the Middle East.
Advert
"We officially request hereby that the Security Council recognize the Israeli regime and the United States as the initiators of the act of aggression and acknowledge their subsequent responsibility, including the payment of compensation and reparations," he wrote.
"While the full scale of the losses is under assessment, several hospitals and relief centers were targeted in grave breach of international humanitarian law, a few energy installations were targeted with the aim of disrupting daily lives of civilians."
President Trump was asked about the letter during July 4th celebrations at the White House on Friday, and he issued a candid response.
"It's pretty ridiculous," Trump said to claims the US is to blame.
It comes after an Iranian hacker group called 'Robert' threatened to leak 100gb worth of stolen emails from Trump's administration.
The anonymous hackers revealed to Reuters they'd extracted tonnes of email material from accounts belonging to White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, lawyer Lindsey Halligan, adviser Roger Stone, as well as adult film star Stormy Daniels.
FBI director Kash Patel responded to the threat, warning 'anyone associated with any kind of breach of national security will be fully investigated and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law'.
Meanwhile, cyberdefence agency CISA's director of public affairs Marci McCarthy went on to tweeted: "This so-called cyber 'attack' is nothing more than digital propaganda, and the targets are no coincidence.
"This is a calculated smear campaign meant to damage President Trump and discredit honourable public servants who serve our country with distinction.
"These criminals will be found and they will be brought to justice. Let this be a warning to others, there will be no refuge, tolerance, or leniency for these actions."
Topics: Donald Trump, Iran, United Nations, World News, US News
Callum Jones