TEHRAN – Iran’s armed forces chief of staff on Tuesday warned the US of arobust reaction if it continued to threaten Iranian interests.
“They will receive a firm and strong response to an unbelievable degree inthe places and interests where they are based in the region and around theworld,” said Major General Mohammad Bagheri, according to the official IRNAnews agency.
“The vain and useless imaginings of the US president will never berealised,” he said.
Washington and Tehran have been trading angry threats since Sunday, whenIranian President Hassan Rouhani warned the US “not to play with the lion stail” and that conflict with Iran would be the “mother of all wars”.
His US counterpart Donald Trump responded with an all-caps tirade onTwitter: “NEVER, EVER THREATEN THE UNITED STATES AGAIN OR YOU WILL SUFFERCONSEQUENCES THE LIKES OF WHICH FEW THROUGHOUT HISTORY HAVE EVER SUFFEREDBEFORE.”
Bagheri said Iran had “never instigated war” and “wanted peace andstability in the region”.
But, he added: “All plots against the Iranian people will be strangled atbirth and the enemies will receive an unforgettable lesson.” – APP/AFP