A senior IRGC commander declared: “We warn the Americans that any support for the measures taken by the Zionist regime [ie, Israel] against Iran means endangering the lives of U.S. soldiers in the region… Any country cooperating with the Zionist regime to threaten Iran’s national security will pay for its actions, and our strong armed forces will mount powerful attack on the origin of any aggression as well as all coordinating centers and bases, and the airspace used to take those actions”. The same day, IRGC Commander Hossein Salami accused Europe of “spearheading the economic sanctions against the Iranian people” and allowing “gathering of anti-Iranian separatists and fugitives”, warning: “Iran has the ability to increase the range of military equipment and deal a heavy blow to them... but we haven’t done that yet”. “The lives of Europeans hinge on oil and security, and they have to be careful not to put themselves in danger”, he added.