<span style="color: #222222;">US President Donald Trump has issued a stark warning to Iran, saying the country will be destroyed if it attacks Washington's interests.<br />'' <br />'' Tensions between Washington and Tehran have been on the rise as the United States has deployed a carrier group and B-52 bombers to the Gulf over what it termed Iranian threats.<br />'' <br />'' White House has sent mixed signals in recent days, amid multiple US media reports of infighting in Donald Trump's cabinet over how hard to push Washington's arch-foe Iran. The Trump administration has ordered non-essential diplomatic staff out of Iraq, citing threats from Iranian-backed Iraqi armed groups, and sent an aircraft carrier and heavy B-52 bombers to the region.<br />'' <br />'' According to US media reports, President Trump's long-hawkish national security advisor John Bolton is pushing a hard line on Iran, but others in the administration are resisting.<br />'' <br />'' Iran's foreign minister downplayed the prospect of a new war in the region, saying Tehran opposed it and no party was under the "illusion" the Islamic republic could be confronted.</span><br />