Iran will treat any attack "as ‍an all-out ‍war against us," a ​senior Iranian official said on Friday ⁠ahead of the arrival of a ⁠U.S. military ‌aircraft carrier strike group and other assets in the ⁠Middle East region in the coming days.

"This military buildup - we hope it is ⁠not intended for ​real confrontation - but our military is ready for ‍the worst-case scenario. This is why ​everything is on high alert in Iran," said the senior Iranian official, speaking on condition of anonymity.

"This time we will treat any attack - limited, unlimited, surgical, kinetic, whatever they call it - ⁠as an all-out ‌war against us, and we will respond in the ‌hardest way ⁠possible to settle this," the official ⁠said. (Reporting by Michelle Nichols)