Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Thursday that a "short war" with Iran was an illusion.
He also noted that US President Donald Trump's threats of "obliteration" were tantamount to threats of "genocide".
Javad Zarif's remarks come after Donald Trump threatened Tehran the day before with "obliteration" following Iranian President Hassan Rouhani claim that the White House was suffering from a "mental disability". Trump also alleged that Iranian authorities were "not smart", noting, however, that Washington does not want a war with Iran. Nevertheless, Trump emphasised that if a military conflict takes place, it would not last very long.
Earlier in June, US President Donald Trump said he ordered strikes on targets in Iran after its forces downed a US surveillance drone flying over the coastal Hormozgan province, but called off the attacks at the last minute because they would be a disproportionate response. Instead, Trump said, he decided to impose further sanctions on Tehran.
The relationship between the United States and Iran has been progressively deteriorating since Trump unilaterally withdrew his country from the Iranian nuclear deal last spring. Since then, in a succession of restrictive measures, Washington has subject almost all major economic sectors of Iran to sanctions.