Iran's IRGC Chief to US: Not seeking war, but not afraid either

He made the remarks at the closing ceremony of a national congress to commemorate the country's martyrs in Tehran, reacting to some alleged threats uttered by U.S. officials against Iran over the past few days.

Salami said, "We are not warmongers, but they impose war on us. Therefore, we defend our causes and do not let foreigners interfere in our internal issues. We are independent."

Condemning the "unjustified" threats from U.S. officials, he said that "we do not leave any threat unanswered, and even though we are not after war, we do not fear it, and we resist."

Salami's remarks came after U.S. President Joe Biden linked Iran to the recent killing of three U.S. soldiers at a military base in northeastern Jordan near Syria's border.

Biden said the United States "will hold all those responsible to account at a time and in a manner (of) our choosing."

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Nasser Kanaani on Monday rejected the country's involvement in the drone attack targeting the U.S. forces in Jordan, saying the accusation is "baseless and provocative."

On Tuesday, Iran's permanent mission to the United Nations warned in a statement that any attack against the country, its interests, and its people would receive a crushing response from Tehran, the official news agency IRNA reported.

(With UNI/Xinhua inputs)