TEHRAN, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- Iran's top general has warned that his country's response to "the slightest mistake" by the United States would set off a regional war, according to the official news agency IRNA on Monday.

This handout picture released by the Iranian Army Office on January 13, 2025 shows Iran's Defence Minister Brigadier General Aziz Nasirzadeh (R) speaking with Iran's army commander-in-chief General Abdolrahim Mousavi during a delivering ceremony of unmanned aircrafts system (UAS), commonly known as drones, to Iran's army by the country's ministry of defense, in Tehran. (File photo: AFP)

Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Abdolrahim Mousavi made the remarks during a visit to a military unit on Sunday night in response to a U.S. military buildup in West Asia.

"The slightest mistake will give Iran the freedom to take action ... Then, no American will be safe and the region's fire will burn the United States and its associates," said Mousavi.

Commenting on the possibility of a naval blockade by the United States, he said, "Iran ... cannot be blockaded."

U.S. President Donald Trump has said that a "massive armada," led by the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln, is heading towards Iran, warning that "time is running out" for Tehran to reach a deal with the United States.

Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said on Sunday that if the United States starts a war against Iran, it will be regional.

Ali Shamkhani, senior advisor to Khamenei, said last Wednesday that "any military action by the United States from any source and at any level will be considered the start of war, and its response will be immediate, all-out, and unprecedented."