Iran's Revolutionary Guard doesn't fear a possible war with the United States, according to its spokesman Gen. Ramazan Sharif.
The remarks by Sharif come as tensions between Washington and Tehran soared recently after America deploying an aircraft carrier and B-52 bombers to the Persian Gulf in response to a threat from Tehran.
The U.S. also plans to send 900 additional troops to the 600 already in the Middle East and extending their stay.
Sharif told reporters on Tuesday that the paramilitary force doesn't "support engaging in any war" while at the same time it doesn't "fear the occurrence of a war."
Sharif said, "The enemy is not more powerful than before."
Also on Tuesday, a Dubai-based, government-aligned newspaper has published a rare front-page editorial criticizing Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif amid tensions between Tehran and Washington.
Titled "No thank you, Mr. Zarif," The Gulf News editorial on Tuesday criticized the Iranian diplomat for his recent offer to form a nonaggression pact with Gulf Arab nations.
The newspaper said Gulf Arab nations are not buying Zarif's "nice neighbor routine."
Iran "continues to call for the overthrow of Arab governments, sends its agents to spy and sabotage, aiming at spreading chaos in Gulf countries, such as Bahrain and Kuwait and more recently off Fujairah and in Saudi Arabia.
"Nobody wants war in this region. But Iran should instead focus on its daunting internal problems which cannot be resolved by constantly fomenting aggression against our countries," according to the piece.
