Iran will respond firmly to any US threat against it, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported on Saturday, citing foreign ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi.
“We will not allow any violation against Iran’s borders. Iran will firmly confront any aggression or threat by America,” he said.
The tension between Tehran and Washington has spiked since Thursday when an Iranian missile destroyed a US Global Hawk surveillance drone, Reuters reported.
Tehran said the drone was shot down over its territory and Washington said it occurred in international airspace.
“Regardless of any decision they (US officials) make, we will not allow the Islamic Republic’s territory to be violated,” Mousavi noted.
Armed forces general staff spokesman Brigadier General Abolfazl Shekarchi also warned the US that any aggression against Iran would have serious consequences for US interests across the Middle East.
"Firing one bullet towards Iran will set fire to the interests of America and its allies", he told the Tasnim news agency.
"If the enemy … make the military mistake of shooting the powder keg on which America's interests lie, the region will be set on fire," Shekarchi warned.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump said he aborted the military strike to retaliate for Iran's downing of the US drone because it could have killed 150 people and signaled he was open to talks with Tehran.
He also stressed that he was not looking for war.
Speaking to NBC News in an interview on Friday, Trump said: "I'm not looking for war, and if there is, it'll be obliteration like you've never seen before. But I'm not looking to do that."
According to Reuters, following the interview, NBC correspondent Chuck Todd said Trump had said he had no preconditions for talks with Iran and was willing to speak to Iranian President Hassan Rouhani or Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
