Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif told NBC News that the US' actions had pushed the region "close to the brink."
"It's unfortunate that the United States, based on misinformation, based on ignorance and arrogance, combined on a course that has brought the region very close to the brink," Zarif said in an NBC News interview. "We were very close to a war."
He added that a letter from US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo contained "threats."