Donald Trump has announced sanctions against Ayatollah Khamenei (Image: GETTY)
Brigadier General Amtrak Hajizadeh, the head of the Revolutionary Guards aerospace division has been quoted as saying: “Neither America nor any other country would dare violate Iranian soil.” It comes as tensions continue to escalate between the two bitter ideological opponents. Iran has been opposed to the US ever since the 1979 Islamic Revolution replaced their pro-Washington modernising Shah, who was overthrown with a theocracy.
Iran had until then enjoyed good relations with Israel, but ever since has engaged in proxy wars and is locked in a battle with Saudi Arabia for control over the wider Middle East and Central Asia region.
Tehran has pursued nuclear weapons in the past but signed a deal with the EU, USA, UK, France, Germany, EU, Russia and China to downscale its programme.
Mr Trump was a long time critic of the Obama-era deal and withdrew from it last year.
He then introduced sanctions to prevent Tehran from accessing the US financial system and trading with the US dollar.
READ MORE: Tehran calls Trump ‘mentally retarded’ after latest US sanctions
