Iran’s armed forces chief of staff Abdolrahim Mousavi vowed on Monday that the country would take “firm action” in response to US strikes on key nuclear sites. “This crime and desecration will not go unanswered,” said Mousavi in a video statement published on state TV, adding that “we will take firm action against the American mistake”.

Echoing the warning, Spokesman for Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya central military headquarters Brigadier General Ebrahim Zolfaqari called the strikes an “act of aggression.” He warned that it would expand the range of legitimate military targets and potentially escalate the conflict across the region.

The warning comes as the conflict between Iran and Israel enters its eleventh day. “This aggressive move will expand the scope of the Islamic Republic’s legitimate military targets and open the door to a broader conflict in the region,” Zolfaqari said in a televised statement aired by state media. “The fighters of Islam will inflict upon you unforeseen and devastating consequences through powerful and deliberate operations,” he warned.