War between US and Iran has never been closer – and Tehran won’t back down to Trump, warns ex-UK ambassador

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WAR between the US and Iran has never been closer but Tehran won’t back down, a former British ambassador has warned.

The chilling warning comes as tensions between Iran and allied US and Irael reach boiling point.

Missile launch during military exercises.

War between the US and Iran has never been closer, an ex-UK ambassador has warned[/caption]

Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during his Persian new year speech[/caption]

President Trump speaking at a press conference.

US President Donald Trump speaks in the Roosevelt Room at the White House in Washington[/caption]

Projectiles from Iran to Israel intercepted by Israel fly through the sky above a northern West Bank city[/caption]

Sir Richard Dalton described the situation as “the most dangerous it has ever been”.

In an interview with BBC Newsnight Sir Richard said: “The risk of a war between Israel and the United States on the one hand and Iran on the other has never been higher.”

He added that Tehran views any talks with the US as a test of President Trump’s seriousness.

He said: “The Americans appear to want a very rapid progress towards a surrender by Iran on three fronts.

“Iran’s not in the market for a surrender. They would be in the market for a serious negotiation.”

Sir Richard warned: “If they have discounted Iran’s capacity to retaliate, I believe they’re making a big mistake.

“Missiles and drones would be directed against American facilities in the region.

“It would cause massive disruption of oil trade out of the Gulf… and might mean what was intended to be a short, sharp strike turns into a protracted conflict.”

Sir Richard served as the UK’s envoy to Tehran from 2003 to 2006.

The former ambassador’s harrowing warning comes after Russia warned that a war between the West and its ally Iran would trigger am “irreversible catastrophe” on Thursday.

Maria Zakharova, from Russia‘s foreign ministry, said: “The use of military force by Iran’s opponents in the context of the settlement is illegal and unacceptable.

“Threats from outside to bomb Iran‘s nuclear infrastructure facilities will inevitably lead to an irreversible global catastrophe. These threats are simply unacceptable.”

Tensions between Iran and allied US and Israel have been building up to boiling point.

The feuding powers have traded intensifying threats of destruction – leaving Trump and Netanyahu no choice but to prepare for radical action.

Donald Trump said the US would be having direct talks with Iran on Saturday.

The US President didn’t hold back and said Iran was in “dangerous territory” if the Ayatollah doesn’t cut a deal.

Trump said: “We’re having direct talks with Iran. Everyone agrees that doing a deal would be preferable to doing the obvious.

“The obvious is not something I want to be involved with, or that Israel wants to be involved with if they can avoid it.”

He added: “If the talks aren’t successful, Iran is going to be in great danger. Iran can’t have a nuclear weapon. It will be a very dangerous day for Iran.”

Iran accelerates nuclear development

Exclusive by Katie Davis, Chief Foreign Reporter (Digital)

IRAN is believed to have accelerated its nuclear weapons development and is building terrifying nuclear warheads for solid-fuel missiles with a range exceeding 1,800 miles (3,000km).

A powerful blast from Iran could impact on several continents due to the chilling capability of the warheads.

Italy, Ukraine, Sudan, India and even large swaths of Russia would all potentially be in the firing line.

They are being developed at two sites in Shahrud and Semnan, which were previously pinned as rocket or space satellite launch sites.

A third site, Sorkheh Hesar, is also said to be carrying out projects, including research on nuclear power and underground explosions.

Nukes are being quickly created under the watchful eye of the regime’s nuclear weaponization entity, the Organization for Advanced Defense Research (SPND).

Bosses are developing nuclear warheads for the solid-fuel Ghaem-100 missiles, which are equipped with mobile launch platforms at the Shahrud site.

Iran’s rocket designers have used North Korea’s missiles as a guide to develop the Ghaem-100 missile.

When the missile was in a very early testing stage in 2011, dozens of missile experts were killed at the Modarres site in Tehran.

Personnel vehicles are banned from entering the Shahrud site and are forced to park at a checkpoint before people are transported in.

Meanwhile, they are using the liquid fuel missile Simorgh to develop nuclear warheads in Semnan.

Iran has staged three successful Ghaem-100 missile launches over the past two years, enhancing the regime’s capability to deploy nuclear weapons.

Netanyahu visited the White House on Monday after a surprise invitation from Trump to discuss the attacks on Iran.

The Israeli Prime Minister believes he has the independent ability to effectively strike Iran’s nuclear program – but has teamed up with Trump just to make sure.

The US is thought to have delivered an “advanced missile defence system” to Israel ahead of Netanyahu’s visit.

A number of B-2 Spirit bombers, which can be armed with nuclear weapons, have also been sent to the Indian Ocean base of Diego Garcia – which is in range of Iran.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has defiantly refused to engage in direct negotiations — triggering fury in Washington.

Instead Iran wants to continue indirect negotiations through Oman – a longtime channel for messages between the rival states.

They said: “Indirect talks offer a chance to evaluate Washington‘s seriousness about a political solution with Iran.”

Last week, the US and Israel launched a fresh round of strikes against pro-Iranian forces in neighbouring countries.

Houthi targets in Yemen and the new regime in Syria were battered with airstrikes.

Iran has placed its military on full alert, preparing for what state-aligned media claims could be a “devastating” US-Israeli strike.

The country has also issued chilling notices to Iraq, Kuwait, the UAE, Qatar, Turkey and Bahrain, warning that any support for a US attack on Iran would be seen an act of hostility.

The already explosive backdrop is further intensified by fresh US intelligence on Iranian threats to assassinate Trump — a plot allegedly linked to revenge for the 2020 drone strike on IRGC commander Qassem Soleimani.

Trump has warned: “I’ve left instructions — if they do it, they get obliterated, there won’t be anything left.”