An Iranian spokesman said Tehran has the right to target US bases in any countries that are used to attack Iran.

“There is no justification for any country to fear Iran unless that country opens its territory to the United States for aggression against Iran,” Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said on Monday. “It is Iran’s right to target the source and origin of any aggressive action against the Islamic Republic.”

The US has used bases across the Middle East and Europe to wage its war against Iran. Some European countries, including Italy and Spain, have blocked Washington from using US bases in their countries to attack Iran.

Iranian missile strikes on American military bases in the Middle East have killed at least 18 Americans, caused extensive damage, and destroyed dozens of aircraft and radars.

The US has halted strikes against Iran, with President Donald Trump saying the US strategy has shifted to economic warfare. The President believes he can force Tehran into a deal by strangling the Iranian economy through sanctions and a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

Baghaei said the US sanctions were “terrorism,” and Tehran was preparing to respond to the blockade. “The Iranian government is mobilizing all its capabilities to alleviate living pressures on the people.” He added, “The naval blockade on Iran at the present time is in itself an aggressive act, and escalation of this situation will certainly have its own repercussions.”