'Firing one bullet at Iran' will 'set fire' to US interests in Middle East: Iranian General

Amid mounting tensions, Iran on Saturday warned the United States that any aggression will result in serious consequences for the interests of Washington and its allies in the Middle East region. "Firing one bullet towards Iran will set fire to the interests of America and its allies" Tasnim news agency quoted armed forces general staff spokesman Brigadier General Abolfazl Shekarchi.

He said,"Today, the situation in the region is to Iran's advantage. If the enemy -- especially America and its allies in the region -- make the military mistake of shooting the powder keg on which America's interests lie, the region will be set on fire."

The statment from the Iranian General came days after US President Donald Trump ordered strike against the Middle Eastern country but cancelled his order in the last minute. The US was planning to hit “a handful of Iranian targets, like radar and missile batteries” in response to Iran's action to shoot down a US drone.

While Iran said that the downed US Global Hawk spy drone entered its territorial waters, the Pentagon claimed it was above international waters when it was hit by the  Iranian Revolutionary Guard. According to Iranian state TV, "the US-made Global Hawk surveillance drone was brought down by its Air Force" in the country's southern coastal province of Hormozgan.

The downing of the drone -- which Tehran insists violated its airspace, a claim Washington denies -- has seen tensions between the two countries spike after a series of attacks on oil tankers near the strategic Strait of Hormuz.