Trump Threatens Iran, Warns of Dire 'Consequences'
*By Alisha Haridasani*
President Trump on Sunday lashed out against Iranian president Hassan Rouhani on Twitter, deepening the tension between the two countries.
“Never, ever threaten the United States again,” the president admonished in an all-caps [tweet](https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1021234525626609666). “You will suffer consequences the likes of which few throughout history have ever suffered before.”
Trump’s tweet followed Rouhani’s own incendiary message for the U.S., which warned the American president not to “play with the lion’s tail,” because a war with Iran would be the “mother of all wars.”
Throughout his presidency, Trump has decried America's softening relationship with Iran. In May, he withdrew from the landmark nuclear deal, agreed to in 2015 by Iran and a group of world powers, and reinstated sanctions against the country. Last month, the United States also explored sanctioning all of Iran’s oil exports.
Trump’s message to Iran echoes a tweet he addressed to the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un last year. Relations with North Korea took a surprising turn after that, culminating in a historic meeting between the two leaders in Singapore in June.
Millions of Social Security recipients will get a 3.2% increase in their benefits in 2024, far less than this year's historic boost and reflecting moderating consumer prices.
Palestinians in Gaza lined up outside bakeries on Thursday after spending the night in pitch darkness surrounded by the ruins of pulverized neighborhoods, as Israel launched new airstrikes and said it was preparing for a possible ground invasion.
Republicans on Wednesday nominated Rep. Steve Scalise to be the next House speaker and will now try to unite around the conservative in a floor vote to elect him after ousting Rep. Kevin McCarthy from the post.
The number of U.S. citizens confirmed to have been killed in the Israel-Hamas war has risen to at least 22 with at least 17 more Americans unaccounted for, the State Department said Wednesday. That's an increase in the death toll from 14 the day before, in a war that has already claimed more than 2,200 lives on both sides.
The Israel-Hamas war is now in its fifth day with Israeli officials saying at least 1200 people have been killed in the country, including 150 soldiers. President Joe Biden has confirmed at least 14 Americans are among the dead.