The head of Iran's elite Revolutionary Guard said the United States is worried about the prospect of war with Iran and has instead pursued an economic conflict

 Tensions have soared between Washington and Tehran since President Donald Trump pulled Washington out of a nuclear deal last year and reimposed sanctions on Tehran in a bid to reduce international sales of Iranian oil to zero. Last month, the prospect of a direct military confrontation between the rivals arose, after Iran shot down a US drone it said had violated its airspace.

The US, which said the drone was in international airspace at the time it was struck, aborted a retaliatory air raid, with Trump saying it would have killed too many people.