"They will receive a firm and strong response to an unbelievable degree in the places and interests where they are based in the region and around the world," said Major General Mohammad Bagheri, according to the official IRNA news agency.

"The vain and useless imaginings of the US president will never be realised," he said.

Washington and Tehran have been trading angry threats since Sunday, when Iranian President Hassan Rouhani warned the US "not to play with the lion's tail" and that conflict with Iran would be the "mother of all wars".

His US counterpart Donald Trump responded with an all-caps tirade on Twitter: "NEVER, EVER THREATEN THE UNITED STATES AGAIN OR YOU WILL SUFFER CONSEQUENCES THE LIKES OF WHICH FEW THROUGHOUT HISTORY HAVE EVER SUFFERED BEFORE."

Bagheri said Iran had "never instigated war" and "wanted peace and stability in the region".

But, he added: "All plots against the Iranian people will be strangled at birth and the enemies will receive an unforgettable lesson."