US intelligence warns Trump: Iran unlikely to respond to threats

US intelligence officials have informed President Donald Trump that, based on their assessments, Iran is unlikely to react to threats from the Washington administration, according to a report in The Washington Post.

Sources told the newspaper that intelligence analysts presented assessments indicating that Iran believes it is prevailing in the conflict and, as a result, is unlikely to respond to US threats of force. The sources noted that the American leader was briefed on these assessments.

According to the report, Trump frequently issues new threats toward Iran while simultaneously signalling a desire to maintain contact between US officials and Iranian authorities. 

“Iran denied virtually all of Trump’s assertions,” the publication added. A source familiar with the situation, speaking anonymously due to the sensitive nature of the diplomacy, said that the two sides have communicated only through indirect channels, passing non-matching demands via the Pakistani government.

By Jeyhun Aghazada