By Sofie Jackson - The Daily Star




THE supreme leader of Iran has promised the nation’s children “will witness the demise” of the US and Israel in a provocative speech today.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei published the inflammatory comments on his official website.

"You young people should be assured that you will witness the demise of the enemies of humanity, meaning the degenerate American civilisation, and the demise of Israel," Khamenei told a meeting with students.

He gave no further details.

Tensions have spiked between Iran and the United States after Washington sent more military forces to the Middle East, including an aircraft carrier, B-52 bombers and Patriot missiles.

The Pentagon is now considering a request to send 5,000 additional troops to the Middle East, two US officials told Reuters.

The officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the request had been made by US Central Command but added that it was not clear whether the Pentagon would approve the request.

The Pentagon regularly receives, and declines, requests from combatant commands throughout the world for additional resources.

One of the officials said the requested troops would be defensive in nature.

This comes just a day after Khamenei said Iran will "choose resistance only" in response to increasing pressure from the US.

Separately, Khamenei distanced himself from a landmark 2015 nuclear deal in his comments today.

US President Donald Trump pulled out of the nuclear deal with Iran last year and reimposed sanctions, saying the accord did not address the Islamic Republic's missile program and what he saw as their malign influence in the region.

"The way (the nuclear deal) was put into action, I didn't have much faith (in it)," Khamenei, who is the highest authority in Iran, said.

"And we repeatedly told the president and the foreign minister and gave them notice."

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani and Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif have been the main advocates of the nuclear deal within the nation's political system.

Two weeks ago, Iran notified the remaining signatories to the deal - China, France, Germany, Russia and the UK - that it would halt some commitments under the nuclear deal, a year after the United States unilaterally withdrew from the accord.