Iran says US should not "play with the lion’s tail"

Armed Forces Chief of Staff Major General Mohammad Bagheri said that U.S. threats against Iran will draw a “strong, unimaginable and regrettable” response from Tehran

"As the dominant power in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, (Iran) has been the guarantor of the security of shipping and the global economy in this vital waterway and has the strength to take action against any scheme in this region," Reuters cited Bagheri as saying.

"As our president correctly pointed out, the enemies, particularly America, whose centres of interest are within reach of the visible and hidden defence forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran, should not play with the lion’s tail," the Armed Forces Chief of Staff said in a statement, according to IRNA.

"Because they will receive a strong, unimaginable and regrettable response of great magnitude in the region and the world," he stressed.

On Monday, Iran dismissed an angry warning from US President Donald Trump that it risked dire consequences “the like of which few throughout history have suffered before” if it made threats against the United States.