America says its military actions contain possible Iranian attacks

“does not mean that the threats they previously identified have disappeared. Our careful response, I think, gave Iranians time to change accounts”, he told reporters at the Pentagon on Tuesday.

“We talked about those threats and attacks were undertaken”, said Mr. Shanahan.

Asked to clarify what the attacks were about, Pentagon spokesman Lt. Col. Joe Buccino told the Voice of America that the American discovery thinks very likely Iran was responsible for the attack on four oil tankers in the Persian Gulf.

Secretary and other senior officials informed members of Congress at a closed-door session Tuesday of the threat that Iran poses in the Middle East.

Mr. Shanahan, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Chief of General Staff General Joseph Dunford and an intelligence official that has not been identified spoke to lawmakers, after days of suspicion expressed by American officials, in which Iran was responsible for last week's attacks on two Saudi oil stations and a row earlier in four oil tankers.

Senator Lindsey Graham said on Monday that after being informed by National Security Adviser John Bolton, “is clear that over the past few weeks, Iran has attacked oil pipeline and other countries and created threatening situations against American interests in Iraq”.

The fay is Iranian, not the United States or any other country. If Iranian threats against American personnel and interests become active, we must undertake a powerful military response. Mr. President, don't swing”, he wrote on Twitter.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif suggested on Monday that US President Donald Trump “prove respect” instead of making threats.

He was reacting to a post by President Trump on Twitter on Sunday, where he said: “if Iran wants to fight, it would be Iran's official end. Never threaten the United States again! ”

Mr. Zarif said President Trump, under pressure from a group that includes National Security Adviser John Bolton and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is hoping to realise “that have failed to make other aggressors”.

The subx0-Iranians have been proud for thousands of years, while the aggressors have fled. Economic terrorism and genocide intimidation will not eliminate Iran”, Mr. Zarif wrote.

Last week, Mr. Trump appeared to take a step back from his harsh stand on Iran, saying he would be open to the talks.

Asked by a journalist at the White House on Thursday if the United States would enter war with Iran, Mr. Trump replied “I hope not”

But there has been no apparent drop in tensions between the United States and their regional allies on the one hand and Iran on the other.