The Iranian foreign minister, Mohamad Javad Zarif, made the chilling comments just days after Tehran warned it had “secret weapons” capable of sinking US warships stationed in the Gulf region. Mr Javad Zarif spoke to reporters at a joint news conference alongside his Iraqi counterpart Mohammed al-Hakim. He said: “We will defend against any war efforts against Iran, whether it be an economic war or a military one, and we will face these efforts with strength.”