Iran will 'respond firmly' to any possible attack by US:  Raisi

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has warned against any possible attack by the United States in retaliation for a strike that killed three American troops stationed on the Jordan-Syria border.

"We have said many times that we will not be the initiator of any war, but if a country, a cruel force wants to bully, the Islamic Republic of Iran will respond firmly," Raisi said during a trip to the southern province of Hormozgan on Friday.

Iran's "military power in the region was not and is not a threat to any country," but a source of security that countries in the region can rely on and trust, he said.

"Today, the enemy has no ability to do anything against us; because they know that our forces are powerful and capable."

The death of the American soldiers in a drone strike at a base in Jordan on Sunday marked the first US military losses in the region since the Israel's war on Gaza broke out on October 7.

'Multiple actions'

US President Joe Biden has blamed "radical Iran-backed militant groups" for the attack.

He said he has already decided on the nature of the US response to the deadly bombing, but has not detailed the plans in public, or the timing, while insisting that he is not seeking a wider war in the Middle East.

The White House warned that "multiple actions" could be taken in retaliation for the attack.

Biden is to oversee the return of the bodies to the United States on Friday, where they will be received with military honours.

Iran has denied any links to the attack and said it is not seeking an "expansion" of conflict in the Middle East.

Regional tensions have intensified since the Israeli war on Gaza, drawing in Iran-aligned militant groups in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon and Yemen.

Tehran has previously said it sees a "duty" to support what it calls "resistance groups" in the region, but insists they are "independent" in decision and action.