BRUSSELS (Sputnik) - The European Commission warns against any further escalation in the Middle East region in light of increased tensions between the United States and Iran, Spokesperson for EU Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Maja Kocijancic said on Monday.

"I won't specifically comment any particular Tweet but, on the wider situation, I would say that the region does not need further elements of destabilisation. This is something that we have been saying consistently, and that any provocations must be avoided and all efforts should be made to defuse tensions", Kocijancic said at a press briefing.

The statement comes after US President Donald Trump's Tweet, which said that "if Iran wants to fight, that will be the official end of Iran."

Trump's threats came as tensions in the region increased after the United States stepped up its military presence in the Middle East earlier this month in what US National Security Adviser John Bolton called "a clear and unmistakable message to the Iranian regime."

The deployment includes a carrier strike group, Patriot missiles, B-52 bombers and F-15 fighters, according to the Pentagon.

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The US president previously stated that he hoped to avoid a war with Iran, while Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in turn, said that Iran did not intend to wage war with the United States, but would continue to resist Washington.