Iran defends latest missile test, says new US sanctions violate nuke deal
Iran said test did not breach Islamic Republic's nuclear agreement with world powers or a UN Security Council resolution endorsing the pact, but the test drew a tough response from the US.
By REUTERSIran tests new precision-guided ballistic missile [File](photo credit: IRANIAN MEDIA)
Iranian Parliament Speaker defended his country's post-nuclear deal conduct, saying Iran was acting responsibly both in regional and international matters."Today, our regime shows maturity in its political behavior, regarding both regional and international issues, and the decisions it makes are well thought-out and this is an important asset," Parliament Speaker, Ali Larijani, said on Friday.On Wednesday, Iran said it had successfully test-fired two new domestically made missiles, one of them a long-range ballistic missile. Iran said the test did not breach the Islamic Republic's nuclear agreement with world powers or a UN Security Council resolution endorsing the pact, but the test drew a tough response from US administration.Larijani, without naming any particular country, said some were acting "immature.""Compare this (Iran's) behavior with some countries that talk nonsense, as you have seen. Immaturity is thoroughly visible in how these countries present themselves. It might be a big country but their behavior and rhetorics are immature," Larijani said.Iran has test-fired several ballistic missiles since the nuclear deal in 2015, but the latest test was the first since US President Donald Trump entered the White House.Michael Flynn, Trump's national security adviser, made a statement on Wednesday putting Iran "on notice" for test-firing the missile.Iranian top cleric, Ahmad Khatami, on Friday said the missile test did not breach the UN Security Council resolution that endorsed a 2015 nuclear deal with world powers."Restoring sanctions would be a violation of the nuclear deal. There was not a word in the nuclear deal regarding plans for missile testing, however the US says it (the test) violates the nuclear deal while the US is the one who violates the deal," Khatami said during the Friday Prayer in Tehran.Trump tweeted on Friday that "Iran is playing with fire" and "they don't appreciate how 'kind' President Obama was to them. Not me!"
Hours later, Trump's administration sanctioned 13 individuals and 12 entities under US Iran sanctions authority.In a statement on its website, the US Treasury listed the sanctioned individuals and entities, some of which are based in the United Arab Emirates, Lebanon and China.