Israel National News reports: “A war of words has erupted between Washington and Tehran on Wednesday as US President Donald Trump, during his ongoing Gulf tour, issued a stern ultimatum to Iran: cease its support for proxy groups throughout the Middle East and verifiably halt its nuclear weapons program as preconditions for any potential agreement.

The demand was met with immediate and forceful rejection from Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, who referred to the US President as a ‘bully’.

Speaking at a Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) meeting in Riyadh, hosted by Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, President Trump made his conditions clear.

Iran ‘must stop sponsoring terror, halt its bloody proxy wars and permanently and verifiably cease pursuit of nuclear weapons,’ Trump declared to the assembled GCC leaders, as quoted by The Associated Press. ‘They cannot have a nuclear weapon.’

In a swift rebuttal broadcast live on state television Wednesday, Pezeshkian fired back at Trump’s assertions.

‘He (Trump) thinks he can come here, chant slogans, and scare us. For us, martyrdom is far sweeter than dying in bed. You came to frighten us? We will not bow to any bully,’ Pezeshkian stated, as quoted by Reuters…”