Iranian military general threatens to cut Donald Trump's hand and finger off

The White House vowed to consider "very strong options" against the regime, though President Trump later told reporters he believed "the killing in Iran has stopped".

More than 2,400 people are thought to have been killed in the crackdown on protests, while the internet blackout has reached one week.

President Trump threatened strikes on military bases should the regime fail to cease killing innocent civilians. Tehran retaliated by saying they would "hit back hard".

Now though, the war of words has escalated to a personal level.

Senior Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Gen. Mohsen Rezaei, a member of Iran’s Expediency Discernment Council, is said to have threatened President Trump during a press conference.

The comments came in response to news that at least one American aircraft carrier was being repositioned towards the Middle East amid the rising tensions.

According to Iran International, he said: "Trump has said his hand is on the trigger. We will cut off his hand and his finger."

The general continued to threaten that if any movement is made by the US President, the "there will be no talk of a ceasefire anymore".

"You do not pay attention to the restraint and strategic patience we have shown. Stop right now. Step back, otherwise none of your bases in the region will be safe," he warned.

Rezaei is one of Iran’s most powerful military figures, and is currently Vice President for Economic Affairs, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme Council for Economic Coordination and a senior figure in the Principlist Resistance Front of Islamic Iran.

The State Department had already told the regime in no uncertain terms: "Do not play games with President Trump."

According to reports, at least one aircraft carrier is moving towards the region with additional US air, land and sea assets expected to follow to provide the US with military options should it order strikes against Iran.

However, by Friday evening, the US were seemingly continuing to withdraw further from taking imminent military action in Iran.

The President took to social media to "thank" the regime for cancelling 800 executions that were said to have been planned.

He told reporters that he "convinced himself" against striking, with the cancelled hangings making "a big impact" on his decision.

Meanwhile, the Crown Prince and son of the last Shah of Iran, Reza Pahlavi, who has been living in exile for 50 years, hosted a press conference calling for "urgent help" from other countries.

He added that the "Islamic Republic" that ousted his father from power during the 1979 revolution was not the legitimate government, and "will fall - not if but when".

Mr Pahlavi also reiterated his intention to return to the country after living in the US for five decades.

The unrest erupted in Tehran on December 28 following a dramatic collapse in the Iranian currency's value.

The demonstrations quickly spread across Iran, evolving into broader opposition to the clerical leadership and prompting a brutal crackdown by security forces.