Iran, U.S. dismiss possibility of war

Tensions are mounting between Iran and the United States and they have been for a while, stemming from disagreements over Iran's nuclear capabilities. But, crucially, both sides have fervently downplayed the possibility of warfare.

While meeting with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov in Sochi, Russia, on Tuesday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that the United States "fundamentally" does not seek a war with Iran, though he also said the country will respond in "appropriate fashion" if American interests are attacked.

On the same day, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei told senior officials, who relayed the message on Iranian state television, that "there won't be any war" between the two sides, Reuters reports. Instead, he said, Iran has "chosen the path of resistance," adding that U.S. officials know it's not in their interest to engage in a hot military conflict. But, like Pompeo, Khamenei stopped short of saying Iran is currently seeking a resolution to the tensions. He said there will be no negotiations on a new nuclear deal.

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President Trump, though, was less assuring. When asked about a New York Times report on his administration's military plans concerning Iran, Trump called it "fake news" and said there are no plans for that. But he also said he "absolutely" would send troops — to the Middle East, at least — to curb an Iranian threat if the United States felt that it had to. Tim O'Donnell

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Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.