TEHRAN - Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said Sunday that Iran will respond "strongly" to any "destructive" act by the US against the country, the semi-official Fars news agency reported.

"Any plot and destructive act (by the US against Iran) will be faced by strong and regretting response of the Islamic Republic," Khamenei said while addressing a group of academics on Sunday in the western city of Kermanshah, referring to the US recent claims of alleged Iranian involvement in a plot of assassinating the Saudi ambassador to the US.

On Tuesday, the US Justice Department alleged that two men, Manssor Arbabsayar, a 56-year-old US citizen holding both the Iranian and US passports, and Gholam Shakuri, an Iranian citizen, were charged with sponsoring and promoting terrorist activities abroad, including a plot to kill Saudi Ambassador to Washington Adel Al-Jubeir.

The American officials said the US was working with its partners to impose comprehensive sanctions on Iran, including sanctions on the Central Bank of Iran.