The Iranian army accused the US of encouraging "escalation of tensions" in the war being waged in the Middle East and warned Washington's allies in the region, urging them to "review their cooperation", Agence France-Presse reported, BTA reported.
"The United States is rapidly taking the path of escalating tensions in the regional war", said the head of the Iranian armed forces, General Ali Abdollahi, in a statement quoted by state television.
"Any country that stands as a defensive shield in front of the criminal and aggressive America will be doomed to the flames of war", he also threatened.
US President Donald Trump threatened to hit Iran "very hard" amid widespread reports in American media that he is considering subjecting the Islamic Republic to massive strikes over the weekend, including on energy infrastructure targets, Agence France-Presse reported, BTA reported.
"We are going to hit them very hard and, you know, at some point they are going to say "We just can't take it anymore", the US leader said during a cabinet meeting at the presidential residence "Camp David".
Later, the "Wall Street Journal" reported that Trump had ordered a new attack aimed at convincing Tehran to surrender, and it could be launched this weekend, according to sources in the publication.
"CBS News" reported that the US and Israel are planning joint strikes on energy-related targets that could continue throughout the weekend. The targets are likely to include sites such as oil refineries and power plants.
The Tasnim news agency, which is close to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), quoted an official as commenting on the reports in the US media and describing them as a "form of recklessness", Reuters reported.
According to him, Iran has prepared a comprehensive response plan in the event of "potential American recklessness", which includes critical Israeli infrastructure and US energy infrastructure in the region.