United States President, Donald Trump has warned Iran of a major retaliation if Tehran carries out any attack against America to avenge the killing of top military commander, Qassim Soleimani.

Trump’s statement came hours after Iran announced it will no longer abide by the limits contained in the 2015 landmark nuclear deal.

The 62-year-old Soleimani, the head of Iran’s elite al-Quds Force and architect of its regional security apparatus was killed when a US drone fired missiles into a convoy which was leaving the Baghdad international Airport early on Friday.

The US strike which  also killed the Deputy Chief of Iraq’s powerful Hashed al-Shaabi paramilitary force is seen as the most dramatic escalation yet in spiraling tensions between both nations.

“If it happens it happens. If they do anything there will be major retaliation,” Trump told reporters on board the Air Force One on his way to the White House from Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida where he had spent his Christmas and New Year vacation.

“They’re allowed to kill our people. They’re allowed to torture and maim our people. They’re allowed to use roadside bombs and blow up our people. And we’re not allowed to touch their cultural site? It doesn’t work that way,” Trump said.

Iran had on Sunday announced its fifth step back from the 2015 landmark nuclear deal, saying it would not observe the nuclear deal’s restrictions on fuel enrichment, on the size of its enriched uranium stockpile and on its research and development activities.