An Iranian military spokesman says it doesn’t want to confront its Middle East neighbours despite a separate army official earlier vowing to “crush” regional infrastructure if the US hits civilian sites, Al Jazeera reports.

“Iran has no intention of confronting its neighbouring countries or the Islamic nations of the region. It has consistently emphasized expanding cooperation and fostering fraternal relations with regional states,” said army spokesman Mohammad Akraminia.

“The armed forces regard the protection of the Iranian nation’s security, interests, and dignity as their foremost mission, and they will spare no effort in fulfilling that responsibility,” he added in a statement.