TEHRAN - Alaeddin Boroujerdi, a veteran Iranian lawmaker, said on Saturday that the U.S. does not want a war with Iran, adding it is unlikely that the White House makes such a mistake.

“The U.S. officials are well aware that any incident in sensitive region of the Persian Gulf will cause a big problem for the world’s economy and will hit the U.S. economy. So, I do not think that the U.S. will make such a mistake,” he told ISNA in an interview published on Saturday.

He added that Iran will stand against the U.S. excessive demands.

Tension has been rising between Iran and the U.S. since the Pentagon sent the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group and a bomber task force to the Persian Gulf and made military threats against Iran. 

The USS Arlington transports marines, amphibious vehicles, and rotary aircraft, as well as the Patriot missiles, are planned to join the carrier strike group.

Also, U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday that he would send about 1,500 troops to the Middle East.

Chief of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) said on May 19 that Iran is not looking for war with any country but is ready to counter any threat posed by the enemies.

“We are not looking for war and yet we are not afraid of it either, but on the other hand, our enemies lack the will to wage a war and are afraid of fighting,” Major General Hossein Salami said.

Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has ruled out the possibility of war between the U.S. and Iran despite heightened tensions between the two sides.

Speaking at a large gathering of officials on May 14, the Leader said Washington knows that engaging in such a conflict would not be in its interest.

NA/PA