Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Sunday that if the US attacks Iran, the hostilities will broaden into a regional conflict, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported.

“The Americans should know that if they start a war, this time it will be a regional war,” Khamenei was quoted as saying.

The has US built up its naval presence in the Middle East, with President Donald Trump repeatedly threatening Iran with intervention if it does not agree to a nuclear deal or stop killing protesters.

“[Trump] regularly says that he brought ships… The Iranian nation shall not be scared by these things, the Iranian people will not be stirred by these threats,” Khamenei said.

“We are not the initiators and do not want to attack any country, but the Iranian nation will strike a strong blow against anyone who attacks and harasses them.”

The comments from the 86-year-old Khamenei were the most direct threat he’s made so far.

Tehran has warned that if Trump orders strikes, Iran will target Israel and American military assets in the Middle East.

A diplomatic solution remains in the cards, with Tehran saying it is ready for “fair” negotiations that do not seek to curtail its defensive capabilities.

Trump said Saturday that Iran is “seriously talking” with Washington.

Khamenei also likened recent anti-government protests to a “coup,” saying that the goal of the “sedition” was to attack the centers that govern the country, state media reported.

“They [rioters] attacked the police, government centers, IRGC centers, banks, and mosques, and burned the Quran… It was like a coup,” he said, adding that “the coup was suppressed.”

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