New Delhi, Jan. 21 -- Iran on Tuesday warned Donald Trump not to take any action against the country's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, days after the U.S. president called for an end to Khamenei's nearly 40-year reign.

"Trump knows that if any hand of aggression is extended toward our leader, we not only cut that hand but also we will set fire to their world," Gen. Abolfazl Shekarchi, a spokesman for Iran's armed forces, said.

The comments came after Trump described Khamenei in an interview with Politico on Saturday as "a sick man who should run his country properly and stop killing people," adding that "it's time to look for new leadership in Iran."

Tension between the U.S. and Iran has been high since a violent crackdown by au...