TEHRAN - Ali Shamkhani, Iran’s secretary of Supreme National Security Council, said on Thursday that Iran will not attack anyone, however, he insisted on Tehran’s position that the aggressor will "regret" if Iran is attacked.

“Iran’s policy in supporting security and stability especially in current international situation and given the energy situation is clear. Tehran will not attack anyone. However, if it is attacked, the aggressor will regret,” he said in an interview with RT’s Arabic language.

He added that the U.S. military presence in the Persian Gulf and the Wider Middle East region is the main cause of tension between Tehran and Washington.

The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps announced on Thursday it had shot down an unmanned U.S. surveillance drone after it breached the country’s airspace.

Swiss Ambassador to Tehran Markus Leitner, whose country represents the U.S. interests in Iran, was summoned to the Iranian Foreign Ministry on Friday and received an official note which he said will immediately deliver to the U.S.

Tensions have been rising between Tehran and Washington since the U.S. withdrew from the UN-endorsed nuclear agreement in May last year and ordered sanctions on Iran.

Tensions entered a new stage since April when the U.S. designated the IRGC (part of the Iranian military) as a terrorist organization, announced that it does no renew waivers for the eight major buyers of the Iranian oil, and started beefing up its military presence in the region, particularly in the Persian Gulf.

In another provocative move, on Monday the U.S. also announced deployment of about 1,000 more troops to the Middle East.

‘Iran does not take Trump seriously’

Shamkhani also said that Iran does not take Trump and his remarks “seriously”.

The top security official said Trump’s policy of sanctions and economic war against Iran will reach nowhere and these hostile polices will end in failure at the end.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif told ABC News in an interview published on June 2 that Iran will not be intimidated by President Trump’s “art of the deal pressure”.

He said that “there will be consequences” if the U.S. keeps up its economic pressure campaign against Iran’s people.

Zarif labeled the new U.S. sanctions as “economic terrorism”.

NA/PA