Updated

President Trump told a rally in Nebraska that Iran could 'take out' the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, prompting California Governor Gavin Newsom to call the comments 'deranged and dangerous' and direct the state's threat-assessment center to actively monitor for possible threats. The White House defended the remarks as the comments drew scrutiny from fact-checkers and media outlets. Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei responded that the US was fabricating an 'imaginary enemy in the sky' to distract from domestic problems, accusing Washington's 'warmongering ruling establishment' of being the real threat to the American people.