Wed May 14 21:48:11 UTC 2025: ## Iran Dismisses Trump’s Threats Amid Nuclear Standoff

**Tehran, Iran** – Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has responded defiantly to U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent criticisms, stating that Iran will not be intimidated by threats of pressure. The statement comes as Trump concludes a tour of the Gulf region where he accused Iran of sponsoring terror and engaging in bloody proxy wars, demanding a halt to its nuclear program.

“He [Trump] thinks he can come here, chant slogans, and scare us. For us, martyrdom is far sweeter than dying in bed. You came to frighten us? We will not bow to any bully,” Pezeshkian said in a televised address on Wednesday.

Earlier in the day, during the GCC summit in Riyadh, Trump reiterated his desire for a deal with Iran, but insisted that the country must cease its alleged destabilizing activities and verifiably abandon any pursuit of nuclear weapons. “It’s a perilous situation, and we want to do the right thing,” Trump stated at a dinner in Doha, Qatar, adding that the onus was on Tehran to resolve the situation peacefully.

Trump has repeatedly stated his willingness to engage in negotiations with Iran, while also threatening “massive maximum pressure” if Tehran rejects his overtures. The U.S. president has maintained his unwavering stance against Iran acquiring a nuclear weapon, echoing the policy of previous administrations.

While the U.S. and Iran have held four meetings in Oman for negotiations, Trump unilaterally withdrew the U.S. from the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), a nuclear agreement reached under the Obama administration. Since then, the U.S. has reimposed and intensified sanctions on Iran.

In a move coinciding with Trump’s visit, the U.S. Treasury Department on Wednesday announced new sanctions targeting six individuals and twelve entities involved in Iran’s domestic manufacturing of components for ballistic missiles. The U.S. Treasury Department accused them of assisting the Iranian regime in sourcing critical materials needed for Tehran’s ballistic missile program.

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