TEHRANinfo-iconIraninfo-icon's armed forces chief of staff on Tuesday warned the USinfo-icon of a robust reaction if it continued to threaten Iranian interests.

"They will receive a firm and strong response to an unbelievable degree in the places and interests where they are based in the region and around the worldinfo-icon," said Major General Mohammad Bagheri, according to the official IRNA news agency.

"The vain and useless imaginings of the US president will never be realised," he said.

Washington and Tehran have been trading angry threats since Sunday, when Iranian President Hassan Rouhani warned the US "not to play with the lion's tail" and that conflictinfo-icon with Iran would be the "mother of all wars".

Iran dismisses angry Trump warning against threatening US

Bagheri said Iran had "never instigated warinfo-icon" and "wanted peace and stability in the region".

But, he added: "All plots against the Iranian people will be strangled at birth and the enemies will receive an unforgettable lesson."