Bolton to Iran: “There will be hell to pay” if U.S. harmed

The U.S.-Iran war of words, which began with their leaders hurling accusations at the U.N. General Assembly, escalated on Tuesday as U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton warned Iranian rulers of “hell to pay” if Americans or their allies are harmed.

Bolton, a staunch advocate of military action against Iran, made the comments at United Against Nuclear Iran Summit in New York, on a day when the European Union signatories of the Iran nuclear deal moved to set up “Special Purpose Vehicle” - a legal entity to bypass American sanctions on Tehran, writes the BBC.

In a separate development, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, criticized the EU countries for agreeing to a new payment system with Iran, calling it a counterproductive measure that threatens global and regional peace and security, reports Al Jazeera.