The United States said on Tuesday that it is not seeking a confrontation with Iran, but will make sure of its continued role in ensuring "global freedom of navigation."

In response to Iran's fresh warning against sending back a U.S. aircraft carrier into the Persian Gulf region, State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said that "We are not seeking a confrontation, but we will make sure that the role that we play in ensuring global freedom of navigation is continued."

"We take seriously the role that the United States military, and particularly our Navy, plays around the world in ensuring freedom of navigation through essential routes," she told reporters at a regular news briefing.

Iran's Army Commander Major General Ataollah Salehi warned on Tuesday against the return of the USS John C. Stennis, one of the U.S. Navy's biggest aircraft carriers, which left the Persian Gulf to the Sea of Oman during Iran's recent navy drill in the Strait of Hormuz.

"Frankly, we see these threats from Tehran as just increasing evidence that the international pressure is beginning to bite there and that they are feeling increasingly isolated and they are trying to divert the attention of their own public from the difficulties inside Iran, including the economic difficulties as a result of the sanctions," Nuland said.

She challenged Iran to meet its commitments to the international community and be prepared to engage "constructively and seriously" on a comprehensive solution that restores the international community's confidence in the peaceful nature of its nuclear program.

Tensions in the Gulf region are rising after Iran threatened last week to close the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most critical oil route, as the West is mulling over extended sanctions against the Islamic republic's oil exports.

White House spokesman Jay Carney said on Tuesday that Iran's latest warning over U.S. aircraft carrier "reflects the fact that Iran is in a position of weakness."

"It's the latest round of Iranian threats, and it's confirmation that Tehran is under increasing pressure for its continued failures to live up to its international obligation," he told reporters at a regular press briefing.

"Iran is isolated and is seeking to divert attention from its behavior and domestic problems," he added.