US lacks courage for military conflict: Iran Army chief after Trump’s threat

Tehran, Jan 05: Iran's army chief on Sunday claimed that the United States "lacked the courage" to carry out such an attack, a day after US President Donald Trump threatened to target 52 Iranian sites.

"In a potential conflict in the future, which I don't think they (Americans) have the courage to carry out, there it will become clear where the numbers five and two will belong," Iran's Army chief Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi was quoted saying by Reuters.

President Donald Trump warned Saturday that the US is targeting 52 sites in Iran and will hit them "very fast and very hard" if the Islamic republic attacks American personnel or assets.

In a tweet defending Friday's drone strike assassination of a top Iranian general in Iraq, Trump said 52 represents the number of Americans held hostage at the US embassy in Tehran for more than a year starting in late 1979.

"They (Iran) attacked us, & we hit back. If they attack again, which I would strongly advise them not to do, we will hit them harder than they have ever been hit before!" Trump tweeted.

Tension between the two countries has escalated after Soleimani was killed in an airstrike near Iraq's Baghdad International Airport, ordered by US President Donald Trump on Friday.