Iranian President Hassan Rouhani warned on Wednesday that European soldiers in the Middle East “could be in danger” after France, Britain and Germany on Tuesday triggered the dispute resolution mechanism of the 2015 nuclear deal, a move that could potentially lead to the reimposition of U.N. sanctions on Tehran.
“Today, the American soldier is in danger, tomorrow the European soldier could be in danger,” said Rouhani according to an AP report.
His comments came during a televised cabinet meeting and mark the first time he has made a direct threat against Europe, according to the report.
Also on Wednesday, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif addressed the unrest in Iran following the downing last week of a Ukrainian passenger jet, killing 176 people.
“In the last few nights, we’ve had people in the streets of Tehran demonstrating against the fact that they were lied to for a couple of days,” said Zarif, according to the report. The Iranian foreign minister praised the Iranian military for being “brave enough to claim responsibility early on.”