world power

“In Operation Rising Lion, the State of Israel achieved great historical achievements and placed itself on par with the world powers,” the statement said.

In 2015, Iran agreed a long-term deal on its nuclear programme with a group of world powers after years of tension over the country's alleged efforts to develop a nuclear weapon.

Iran - which says its nuclear programme is entirely peaceful - agreed under a 2015 deal with world powers to redesign and rebuild Arak so it could not produce weapons-grade plutonium.

In 2015, Iran agreed a deal with six world powers under which it accepted restrictions on its nuclear activities and allowed rigorous monitoring by the IAEA's inspectors in return for relief from crippling sanctions.

Salami had boasted of Iran's military capabilities, at one point declaring that the country was "on the verge of becoming a world power".