IRAN’S Supreme Leader has warned a US attack on his regime would spark a war in the Middle East.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei spoke after Donald Trump threatened military action on the Islamic Republic.
The US President has sent warships, including the nuclear-powered USS Abraham Lincoln, to the Arabian Sea amid rising tensions.
Speaking on board Air Force One, he said “serious” talks were ongoing with Iran’s leadership.
He warned the Ayatollah: “Number one, no nuclear. And number two, stop killing protesters.”
But Khamenei, in power since 1989, said US action would be met by “a heavy blow”.
The 86-year-old added: “The Americans should know that if they start a war, this time it will be a regional war.
“Trump regularly says that he brought ships. The Iranian nation shall not be scared by these things.
“We are not the instigators. We don’t plan to attack any country.
“But if anyone shows greed and wants to attack, the Iranian nation will deal a heavy blow to them.”
Khamenei described nationwide protests as “a coup” and announced his forces were preparing for a live-fire military drill in the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
The narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf is one of the world’s most important shipping lanes.
The US warned Iran against threatening its military craft during the exercise.
It came as anti-Trump protesters burned his image in Istanbul, Turkey, yesterday.
