Iranian president vows to stand up to Trump, says Iran won’t give up missiles

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani warned Saturday that the U.S. would not be successful in forcing Iran to abandon its ballistic missile program amid increased pressure from the Trump administration.

Reuters reports that Rouhani said on state television that President Trump and the U.S. would suffer the “same fate” as former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, who was ousted by U.S. forces before eventually being captured and hanged.

{mosads}“The same will happen to Trump. America will suffer the same fate as Saddam Hussein,” Rouhani said Saturday during a military parade, according to Reuters.

“Iran will not abandon its defensive weapons … including its missiles that make America so angry,” he continued.

Hundreds of Iranian vessels took part in maritime exercises Saturday in the Persian Gulf, according to Reuters, a day after the country performed aerial exercises over the water.

Tensions between the U.S. and Iran’s government have escalated for months since Trump announced in May that the U.S. would exit the landmark nuclear agreement between the U.S., Iran and several European nations.

Iranian officials accused the Trump administration of not living up to its predecessors’ promises, and have traded barbs with Trump and top U.S. officials for months.

Last month, the president announced a reimposition of sanctions affecting Iran that were previously put on hold due to the nuclear agreement. The president has also left open the possibility of meeting with Iran’s president and making a deal, though Iran’s government has shown little interest.

“The president has been very clear: none of this needs to happen,” a senior administration official told reporters last month. “He will meet with Iranian leadership at any time to discuss a real, comprehensive deal that will contain their regional ambitions, will end their malign behavior and deny them any paths to a nuclear weapon.”