Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi is the latest senior official to speak out against Trump’s threat to target Iran’s power plants, saying Tehran would meet any such attack “with a proportionate response”.

In comments cited by Iran’s Mehr news agency, Gharibabadi said threats against Iran’s “power plants and vital infrastructure” amount to threats against civilian objects that should not be targeted during war.

“Given the [UN] Security Council’s failure to fulfil its duty to address aggression and end violations and considering Iran’s inherent right of self-defence, any attack on Iran’s vital infrastructure will be met with a proportionate response,” Gharibabadi said.

“Full legal responsibility and all consequences of any further escalation will fall on those who initiated it.”