Iran on Thursday warned US President Donald Trump against any "adventurism" before leaving the White House, after Trump warned that he would hold "Iran responsible" for any fatal attack on Americans in Iraq.
Trump "uses a worthless photo to recklessly accuse Iran", Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Twitter Thursday, according to AFP.
The Iranian minister was referring to an image Trump tweeted on Wednesday of rockets that were fired on the US Embassy in Baghdad which he said had come from Iran.
"Trump will bear full responsibility for any adventurism on his way out," Zarif added.
Trump, in his tweet on Wednesday, wrote, “Our embassy in Baghdad got hit Sunday by several rockets. Three rockets failed to launch. Guess where they were from: IRAN. Now we hear chatter of additional attacks against Americans in Iraq.”
“Some friendly health advice to Iran: If one American is killed, I will hold Iran responsible. Think it over,” he added.
Zarif had already responded earlier on Thursday to Trump, tweeting, "Putting your own citizens at risk abroad won't divert attention from catastrophic failures at home."
Trump’s warning came ahead of the first anniversary of the elimination of top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani, who was killed on January 3 in a US strike in the Iraqi capital.
Iran retaliated for the killing of Soleimani by launching a barrage of missiles on two Iraqi military bases hosting American troops. 34 service members were diagnosed with traumatic brain injury as a result of the attack.
However, there have been reports that Iran seeks to carry out another act of revenge, including a plot to assassinate the US ambassador to South Africa. Iran denied that report.
The head of US forces in the Middle East said earlier this week that Washington is "prepared to react" if Tehran launches an attack to mark the first anniversary of Soleimani’s death.