08.07.2026 17:30
At the NATO Leaders Summit held in Ankara, US President Donald Trump's consecutive harsh statements towards Iran and his threat, "We will hit Iran very hard tonight," escalated tensions in the Middle East. Tehran did not delay in responding to Trump's words; Ali Akbar Velayati, the senior advisor to Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, warned, "Adventurous initiatives will be immediately responded to."
While the NATO Summit in Ankara became the stage for global diplomacy, the tension between the US and Iran escalated to the level of military conflict. In his statements during the day, US President Donald Trump, who declared that the ceasefire had ended, further increased the intensity of his threats after the summit.
TRUMP THREATENED FROM ANKARA: WE WILL HIT IRAN VERY HARD TONIGHT
Trump, who announced the start of military operations by saying during the morning sessions of the NATO Summit that "Tehran must not have nuclear weapons. We hit Iran hard last night, and the ceasefire with Iran is over," continued to issue threats at the press conference he held after the Leaders' Summit.
In his speech, Trump said, "Iran is behaving very badly. We will hit Iran very hard tonight. They have been bullying the Middle East for 47 years. We will not allow them to use nuclear weapons."
RESPONSE FROM TEHRAN DID NOT DELAY: THE REGION IS NOT A PLACE FOR POLITICAL GAMBLING
Following Trump's new threat of attack, the response from the Iranian front came from Ali Akbar Velayati, the senior advisor to Supreme Leader Mucteba Hamaney and a senior politician of the country. Velayati, speaking via his social media account (X), issued strong warnings to the US administration.
Stating that the Tehran administration had previously warned that the region is not a place for political gambling, Velayati said, "We have repeatedly proven that adventurous initiatives will be immediately responded to."
Velayati emphasized that Trump, whom he accused of openly admitting to breaking the agreement, has once again plunged the Middle East into fire with his irresponsible policies, and that he is the sole responsible for all the tension.