TEHRAN: Iran s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, warned world powers on Wednesday his country would do whatever it could to defend itself from force or the threat of force against it.

Iran will use all its capabilities to respond to threats and to the use of force and violence, he said in a nationally televised speech from the holy city of Mashhad.

If they want to use threats, to resort to force and violence, then without a doubt the people and the authorities will use all their capabilities to strike the enemies, he added.